KAPIT: Bukit Goran State Assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat (pic) yesterday advised the people of Kapit to be wary of rabies as Kapit has been declared as a new rabies infected areas.
“Kapit particularly at Jalan Airport Lama is among the five newly declared rabies infected areas by Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee on 27 September 2018.
“In this respect I call on all dogs owners here to ensure that their dogs are vaccinated. I was told that the dog vaccination programme has been carried out in mid September by Sarawak Veterinary Services Department Kapit office. However those dogs owners who have yet to send their dogs for vaccination to do so and I was informed that the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department Kapit office will be carrying out dogs vaccination at Jalan Airport on 6 October 2018. Hopefully dogs owners in Kapit could make full use of this opportunity to get their dogs vaccinated as a prevention against the spread of rabies,” said Jamit when speaking to New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Jamit pointed out that rabies is a deadly diseases. “We have dogs tested positive with rabies and this is a wake up call for us here not to take things likely as a single dog bite could trigger rabies cases here. If your dogs are sick and showing signs of rabies please call the Rabies hotline contact the nearest Veterinary Divisional Office. Confine your dogs within your house compound. Any dogs found outside will be caught and removed by the council and the Department of Veterinary Services.
He was happy to note that Kapit District Council and the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak Kapit office had carried out the necessary action to catch and remove stray dogs within Kapit town and its surrounding areas.
“I was told by the Senior Assistant Environmental Health Officer of Kapit District Council , Favian Masing that so far in the month of September alone, the council had caught some 28 dogs so far whereby 13 dogs were caught in Kapit and 15 dogs caught in an operation held from 26-27 September in Belaga district. I hope this dog removal action to be continued and to include Song district as well,” saidJamit and called on the close cooperation of the members of the public to eradicate rabies.
Meanwhile the Resident’s Office will initiate a divisional level meeting on rabies to be held tentatively on 4 October 2018 at the conference room of the State Office Complex.
Whereas Kapit District Council in collaboration with the Health Department Kapit and Department of Veterinary Services will be carrying out dog two-day removal operation from 2-3 October at Kapit town and its surrounding areas include Bleteh Township, Jalan Airport Lama, Kampung Baru and Kampung Muhibbah.
