PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has no confirmed case of rabies in humans so far, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam yesterday.
He said this to dispel confusion over the rabies outbreak in the northern states.
Dr Subramaniam said 12 people had been bitten by rabid dogs.
There were nine cases in Perlis, two in Penang and one in Kedah.
“But none of them has been confirmed to have the virus. They do not show any symptoms and are clinically okay.
“To confirm whether a person has rabies, it can only be done by testing the brain tissues after death,” he said yesterday.
He said if a victim showed clinical symptoms such as, foaming at the mouth, there was a high likelihood that it was rabies.
Dr Subramaniam said there were ongoing efforts overseas to develop rabies tests on humans.
He said the 12 victims were given anti-rabies vaccines and would be kept under observation for a few weeks.
He said the last case of a human having rabies was in 1998 in Kedah, adding that Malaysia was declared rabies-free in 2012.
The Veterinary Services Department had declared Perlis, Kedah and Penang as rabies infected states. The outbreak was first detected in Perlis on Aug 19 before it spread to Penang on Sept 8.
Dr Subramaniam said the ministry had enough supply of vaccines to treat those bitten by dogs.
“The 14 government hospitals in the three states have enough stock of anti-rabies vaccines.”
He said there were 73 cases of dog bites in the northern states involving 66 animals.
Dr Subramaniam urged the public, especially those in the northern states, to adopt preventive steps, including getting prompt treatment, when bitten by either domesticated or wild dogs before informing the authorities of places with stray dogs.
“One should practise good hygiene after coming into contact with a pet dog by washing one’s hands with water and soap.”