JITRA, Sept 30 — The Kedah Veterinary Services Department (DVS) has collected 50 samples from dogs and cats in Changlun over the past four days for rabies screening following a reported case in the state.
Its director Dr Shaharul Akmar Talib said the samples, comprising 46 from dogs and four from cats, were collected from animals near the affected area through monitoring, animal capture and sampling operations.
“So far, about 46 dog samples have been sent to the Northern Region Veterinary Laboratory in Bukit Tengah, Penang, for testing.
“The results are expected within one to two days, and none of the samples tested so far has returned a positive result,” he told the media during a dog vaccination programme in Changlun today.
Dr Shaharul added that the sampling and monitoring will continue until the department has a clearer picture of the rabies situation in the area.
The dog involved in the recent biting incident had died, but could not be tested as only its bones and fur remained, making the sample unsuitable for laboratory analysis.
“Therefore, we are taking samples from other dogs in the surrounding area for testing,” he said.
The DVS is also conducting door-to-door rabies vaccinations for dogs owned by residents, while pet owners can bring their animals to designated vaccination locations.
Approximately 617 owned dogs in Kedah have been vaccinated against rabies since January as a preventive measure.
“For owned dogs, we encourage their owners to bring them for vaccination, while stray dogs are caught and sampled,” Dr Shaharul said.
He noted that Kedah forms part of the country’s ‘immune belt’ along with Perlis, northern Perak, and Kelantan due to their proximity to Thailand, where rabies also poses a risk.
Vaccination and sampling are being carried out continuously to reduce the risk of transmission, including from potentially infected animals entering through border areas.
Dr Shaharul advised anyone bitten or scratched by a dog or cat suspected of posing a rabies risk to seek immediate treatment at the nearest health clinic.
Earlier, the Kedah Health Department reported the state’s first human rabies death since 1998, involving a 31-year-old man from Kubang Pasu who had been bitten by a stray dog in August.
The man died on Sunday (September 27).
