KUCHING: Sarawak recorded a total of 12,587 animal bite cases from Jan 1 to Aug 31 this year, with 6,966 cases (55.34 per cent) involving cat bites or scratches, 5,451 cases (43.3 per cent) involving dog bites, and the remaining 170 cases (1.35 per cent) involving other animals.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said out of these cases, 8,703 (69.14 per cent) involved bites or scratches from pets, while 3,884 cases (30.86 per cent) involved wild or stray animals.
In its effort to achieve a rabies-free status by 2030, he said the Sarawak government has implemented a series of measures to control and prevent the spread of rabies.
He said although rabies is a fatal disease, it is entirely preventable through vaccination, noting that most animal rabies cases in Sarawak involved dogs.
“The government has implemented a number of measures to control and prevent rabies, including mass vaccination of dogs, licensing and microchipping, dog population control, awareness campaigns, and surveillance and monitoring of the disease.
“We have our Immune Belt Enforcement Team (IBET) under the Sarawak Security and Enforcement Unit (UKPS), which was established by the state government to prevent the incursion of rabies along the Sarawak-Kalimantan border that spans over 1,032km from Lundu to Lawas.
“IBET actively monitors and curbs the movement of rabid dogs, conducts disease surveillance, and has successfully vaccinated 21,860 dogs, achieving 89 per cent herd immunity within the immune belt zone in 2023.
“As of today, the total number of dogs vaccinated by DVS Sarawak and IBET across Sarawak stands at 36,900, against the targeted 50,000 dogs by the end of this year,” he said.
Abang Johari’s speech was delivered by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian during the Rabies in Borneo (RIB) Conference 2024 at Imperial Hotel today (Sept 30).
In addition to these measures, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government is also working with other countries in the region to control and prevent rabies.
He commended the conference, saying that it serves as an example of how the government can collaborate and exchange knowledge and solutions with professionals from other regions.
“I call on all stakeholders to work together to control and eliminate rabies in Borneo. We need to work together to educate the public about rabies, and to monitor, track and always stay one step ahead of this disease.
“I am confident that this conference will be a success. Let us unite in our commitment to fight rabies and achieve a rabies-free Sarawak by 2030,” he added.
