Kuala Sepetang, Taiping, to be gazetted rabies outbreak area

The Perak Department of Veterinary Services is in the process of gazetting Kuala Sepetang, Taiping, as a rabies outbreak area, said its director Dr Fuziah Muhayat.

She said effort to obtain the gazette would be submitted to Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir tomorrow (Monday) following the incident where two girls were bitten by a pet dog on July 4.

"It will be signed at the latest by tomorrow," she told Bernama when contacted here today.

She said the incident involving the two girls, aged 11 and 12, had been notified to the state authorities, following which disease control measures were implemented to contain the disease, including vaccination of pet dogs within the radius of one kilometre.

"Samples aere taken from stray dogs in the area to identify the spread of the disease. Surveillance would also be conducted within 10km radius from the infected area," she said.

Meanwhile, State Health, Public Transport, Non-Muslim Affairs, National Integration and Kampung Baru Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon confirmed that the two girls who were bitten by a pet dog in Kuala Sepetang in Taiping, on July 4, were free of rabies symptoms.

"Both are healthy, the dog bites have healed. They have no signs of illness. However, they will be monitored," he said in a statement here today.

-- BERNAMA