KUCHING: Sarawak Deputy Minister of Public Health, Local Government and Housing Michael Tiang today reminded the public that the state is still not free from rabies since the outbreak started almost six years ago.
He said that the state can hope to break the chain of rabies and contain the spread of the disease only when 70 per cent of the total dog population has been vaccinated.“Therefore, it is still prevalent in Sarawak even after almost six years, and therefore all dogs should be vaccinated,” he said in a statement.
Tiang also encouraged the owners to get their licensed dog microchipped as stated under by-law 4, adding that microchipping, which is optional, is part of a mass vaccination programme organised by the state Department of Veterinary Services and local authorities. He said 2,104 of the 24,241 licensed dogs in the state have been microchipped.