Be Aware If You Get Bitten Or Scratched By A Cat Because It Could Lead To Rabies

The caution came from Perak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director Dr Fuziah Muhayat who said that a person might risk getting rabies if he or she was bitten or scratched by a cat.

She explained that the transmission of the disease is not limited to dog bites.

"People must seek immediate treatment at the nearest health centre if they have been bitten or scratched by a cat because they are at risk of infection," she told Bernama yesterday, 18 July.

Rabies is a viral disease that could cause damage to the brain and spinal cord of all mammals.

A person infected with rabies may experience general weakness such as discomfort, fever, or headache, but will later display abnormal behaviour or has hallucinations as the disease progresses. Once the clinical symptoms are displayed, the disease is nearly always fatal.

The disease is most frequently transmitted from one being to another usually through the saliva from a disease carrier and most frequently spread through bites or scratches.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. However, other animals such as cats and racoons could also be a disease carrier.

It was learned that Norhayati Abdul Hamid's cat suddenly bit her right fingers while she was cleaning a fish during the 11am incident on 16 July.

The 41-year-old was told to immediately seek treatment as a precaution since there was an ongoing rabies outbreak in the area.

"I thought the bites were harmless until the officers from the DVS instructed me to get treatment because of the current rabies outbreak in the area. The officers also advised me and my family to be careful and not to roam outside the house," she was quoted as saying by Bernama.

It was reported that Norhayati had received treatment at the Kuala Sepetang health clinic on the same day, and the results of the clinical checks showed no clinical symptoms of rabies. Nevertheless, the DVS said that the cat would be monitored for 14 days.

Earlier this month, two girls aged 11 and 12 years old were reportedly bitten by a rabid dog in Kuala Sepetang.

According to media reports, the girls have been admitted to the Taiping Hospital for further treatment and the duo are being closely monitored.

Following the incident, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir announced on Monday, 17 July, that a quarantine has been imposed on dogs at the Matang sub-district, which bars people from bringing dogs out of the zone.

"So far only one case has been reported but we are taking steps to contain it. Pet owners in this sub-district are not allowed to take their dogs out until further notice," he was quoted as saying by NST.

The VSD has also initiated other control and preventive measures including, vaccinating all pets within a 1km radius of Kuala Sepetang and conducting an awareness campaign. TThe Star Online also reported today, 19 July, that 19 stray dogs infected with rabies were culled.