Bintulu: A new death due to rabies was reported at Bintulu Hospital on Oct 12 involving a local man. Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS) in a statement today announced that with the new case, the number of cases related to rabies transmission has increased to five reported this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the patient is a 29-year-old man who works at an oil palm plantation in Sebauh District, Bintulu. On Oct 8, the patient began experiencing chest pain and was admitted to Bintulu Hospital on Oct 10. The man suffered from hydrophobia, aphasia, hypersalivation, and difficulty swallowing while in the hospital ward before being confirmed dead on Oct 12. The man had a history of being bitten by an abandoned puppy after being bitten by an adult dog abandoned at the plantation on Sept 17.

The statement also mentioned that the patient handled the carcass of the abandoned puppy, which died a few days after the bite. Unfortunately, he did not seek immediate treatment at a health facility for the bite wound.

JKNS also informed that for the period from Jan 1 to Oct 11 this year, a total of 16,295 animal bite cases were reported in the state, with an average of 402 cases per week. A total of 10,021 cases were cat bites or scratches, 6,078 dog bites, while 196 involved other animal bites. Additionally, 10,999 cases involved pets while 5,296 involved stray animals.

Meanwhile, four out of five human rabies cases reported in Sarawak this year did not seek treatment after being bitten by a dog or cat at risk of rabies infection.