KUCHING, Aug 27 — A six-year-old Indonesian girl has died of rabies in Bintulu, said Sarawak Health Department director Dr Veronica Lugah.
In a statement, Dr Veronica said the child, who lived with her family on a plantation in Bintulu, began showing symptoms on July 31, including headache, fever, neck pain and loss of appetite.
“She (the victim) was admitted to Bintulu Hospital on Aug 3, where she developed hallucinations, hydrophobia, aerophobia and hypersalivation. She passed away the following day.
“Investigations revealed she had been bitten by a stray dog on July 16 outside her home. The dog was later captured and tested positive for rabies by the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department,” said Dr Veronica.
Dr Veronica said the case marked the second human rabies case reported in Sarawak this year.
“The cumulative number of human rabies cases in the Sarawak now stands at 85 since the outbreak was declared in July 2017, with 78 fatalities or a fatality rate of 91.7 per cent,” she added.
She noted that the two human rabies cases reported in 2025 represent a decrease compared to the same period last year, which recorded five cases.
“Sarawak Health Department would like to remind the public that Sarawak is still not free from the rabies epidemic. The disease can be spread through bites or scratches, as well as exposure to the saliva of mammals infected with rabies, especially dogs and cats,” she stressed.
From January to Aug 16 this year, Sarawak recorded 12,359 animal bite incidents, averaging 374 cases weekly.
Of these, 59.41 per cent involved cat bites or scratches, 39.35 per cent dog bites, and 1.24 per cent other animals.
Notably, 67.5 per cent of cases involved pet animals, while 32.5 per cent were linked to strays.
Since 2017, the state has documented over 65,000 dog bites, 60,550 cat-related incidents and nearly 2,000 other animal bites.
Dr Veronica urged the public to avoid contact with stray animals and to immediately wash any bite or scratch wounds with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes before seeking treatment at the nearest Post-Bite Clinic.
She also advised against handling dead animals without a clear cause of death and stressed the importance of annual anti-rabies vaccination for all pet dogs and cats.
“Parents must remind children to stay away from animals that may carry rabies. Community cooperation is vital to ensure effective prevention and control measures,” she said.
She added that the Sarawak Health Department will continue to intensify efforts to curb the spread of rabies among humans. — The Borneo Post
