TAIPING: The Health Ministry has asked residents in the Larut Matang Selama (LMS) District not to discard rubbish and food waste in unauthorised areas as it may attract stray dogs and lead to rabies outbreak.
“Although rabies does not spread to humans, yet we have so far had four cases of dogs with rabies being put to sleep here. We are continuing to supervise and monitor the situation,” its deputy minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said after officiating the Rabies Disease Awareness programme here today.
Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam recently issued a statement declaring Mukim Taiping and Bukit Gantang as rabies-infected areas.
Dr Quaza said this was following a complaint by a dog owner that two of his family members were bitten by their pet in Taman Sri Kota Phase 2, Taiping on Dec 31 and brain cell samples from the dog tested positive for rabies.
Lee said that until yesterday 3,700 dogs had been vaccinated while 347 had been put to sleep here since the declaration was issued in the two areas.
“We have also given four doses of vaccine to each of the 28 dog owners in a bid to tackle the disease,” he said.
Speaking of the two who were bitten by their pet dogs, he said the duo, aged 26 and 51, were in good health after completing four doses of anti-rabies vaccine as well as rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) injections and still under the care of specialists at the Taiping Hospital.
He said the LMS district Health Office had sent out letters telling all medical practitioners in Perak to step up surveillance on dog or animal bites as well as ensure proper handling of such cases and to refer them to the Taiping Hospital for further treatment if necessary.
“Information on victims of animal bites must be shared with the Veterinary Services Department for control purposes,” he said. – Bernama
