KUCHING: The public must work with the authorities to eliminate rabies in Sarawak by 2030, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
"Dog owners must get yearly vaccinations for their pets. If you get scratched or bitten, go to the bite clinic to get vaccinated.
"Rabies is preventable in humans and animals," he told reporters after opening the Rabies in Borneo conference here on Monday (Sept 30).
Dr Sim also called for greater public awareness on the changing pattern of rabies in Sarawak.
He said there were increasing cases of bites or scratches from cats and pets, as well as animal bite cases, recorded in the state this year.
As of Aug 31, 6,966, or 55%, of the 12,587 bite cases involved cat bites or scratches, 5,451 (43%) were dog bites, and 170 (1.3%) involved other animals.
Of the cases, 8,703 (69%) involved pet bites or scratches, while 3,884 (31%) involved wild or stray animals.
"It is no longer just dogs, it's cats as well. And it's no longer stray dogs, it's your pets.
"So the pattern has shifted and everyone must realise it," he said.
Dr Sim said one way to stay updated was via the rabies app developed by the state Veterinary Services Department and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation.
He said the app provided information on rabies cases and animal vaccination.
In addition, he said the state government had set up the Immune Belt Enforcement Team (IBET) to prevent rabies incursion along the Sarawak-Kalimantan border and vaccinate dogs in the immune belt zone.
"The state government has put in a lot of effort. We want to be free of rabies by 2030," he said.
He added that this was in line with the World Health Organisation's global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
Sarawak has reported 81 human rabies cases since the outbreak began in 2017, resulting in 74 fatalities.
Six new human cases have been reported this year.
