ANTI-RABIES OPERATIONS
KUCHING: No live bullets have been or will be used in the anti-rabies operations in the state, only tranquiliser guns.
Rebutting postings on social media by some irresponsible people alleging otherwise, state Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas told the people not to be unnecessarily frightened.
“This (the use of live bullets) is not an option for us. We have not used real guns except tranquiliser guns,” he stressed.
“So, there is no need for the public in Miri and Limbang to believe the posting. Do not believe them or be unnecessarily alarmed,” he said.
Miri and Limbang are where the eighth phase of operation started yesterday and will run until Nov 20.
Uggah, who is also deputy chief minister, Second Finance Minister, and Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said that armed police and soldiers accompanying the operation teams were just providing security coverage.
On a related issue, he advised dog owners in the two divisions to give their fullest support to the anti-rabies teams.
“Rabies is a deadly disease which has claimed 21 fatalities since the outbreak in 2017. Our anti-rabies operations or Ops Rabies is to vaccinate pet dogs in Miri and Limbang. The strays will be targeted for removal.”
Meanwhile according to the state Veterinary Services Department director Dr Adrain Susin, the sweeping teams and his department had successfully carried out mass and house-to-house vaccination during Ops Rabies starting last March 1 in Lundu and then on to Bintulu.
“A total of 25,834 dogs were vaccinated while 8,863 strays had been removed. The current operation is to cover the remaining areas in Miri and Limbang divisions.”
He said the department aimed to vaccinate 70 per cent of the estimated 205,000 dogs statewide in order to provide good herd immunity.
“This too will allow us to effectively stop further spread of rabies within the dog population thus preventing enzootic transmission to human,” he said.
He said to date, some 149,003 dogs or 68 per cent statewide had been vaccinated.
