Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah
KUCHING: An additional amount of RM22.8 million has been approved to continue the rabies control programmes and activities in 2019.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said a sum of RM20 million had been spent on various programmes and activities in the state’s effort to control and eradicate the disease.
He also said that the state government aimed to have at least 70 per cent of the estimated 220,000 dogs in Sarawak vaccinated.
“This is in order to provide good herd immunity and to effectively stop further spread of rabies among the dog population, thus preventing enzootic transmission to human.
“The vaccination programmes have been successful in the smaller towns such as Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman and Sarikei where the Department of Veterinary Services was able to achieve more than 70 per cent coverage.
“To date, about 110,000 dogs throughout the state have been vaccinated,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech on the last day of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
The Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development also said the state now has its own rabies testing facility in the State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to support the surveillance programme.
This, he added, has enabled the Department of Veterinary Services to confirm rabies cases in a shorter period.
“Out of the total 838 samples taken in our surveillance programme, 258 dogs and 15 cats were positive for rabies,” he said.
The state also has established an immune belt of 10km width from Telok Melano to Lubok Antu as well as Ba Kelalan along the Sarawak Kalimantan border, he added.
“In this belt, all dogs are required to be vaccinated annually in order to protect them from getting rabies from dogs across the border.
“I am convinced, with all the concerted effort put together by everybody, this rabies outbreak can be controlled,” he said.