IPOH, Feb 22 — Veterinary Services Department (DVS) director-general Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam today said rabies was not found in samples from the carcass of a dog that bit a boy in Taiping last week.

“Based on the result we got from the samples... it is negative for rabies,” he told Malay Mail.

On February 7, Muhammad Raqib Rayyan Mohammad Nazri was bitten by the dog while playing with his friends at Kampung Air Kuning, Taiping at around 1.30pm.

A neighbour owned the dog and put it down after the incident.

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The Larut Matang and Selama District Health Office previously said Muhammad Raqib Rayyan will get a complete course of rabies vaccination, with the fourth dose scheduled for February 21.

Dr Quaza said 4,444 dogs have been vaccinated around the sub-districts of Taiping and Bukit Gantang in the Larut Matang and Selama district that was declared a rabies zone on January 14.

“About 677 dogs and eight cats were culled since Jan 14 in the affected area. The district also recorded a total of 71 dog-bite cases and 23 cat-bite cases as of today.

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“Out of 112 samples taken from the dog’ brains only four was tested positive for rabies. No new cases of rabies reported so far,” he added.

Dr Quaza also said that surveillance and sampling activity will continue in the 10km radius of the affected area.

On December 31, a dog owner in Taman Sri Kota Fasa 2, Taiping, lodged a complaint after two members of his family were bitten by their pet. The sample taken from the dog’s brain was positive for rabies.

*A previous version of this story contained errors which have since been corrected.