KUCHING: A 52-year-old man has tested positive for rabies, making him the fifth person from Serian district to contract the virus in the ongoing outbreak.
The Kampung Remun man is the first confirmed adult victim of the outbreak which emerged in the district last month.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the man was bitten by a dog in May.
"He was confirmed as being infected by rabies through a test yesterday," he said in a statement.
Dr Noor Hisham said the man was admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) on July 11 with weak limbs, numbness and backache – some of the symptoms of rabies.
Kampung Remun is among 10 villages in Serian declared as “rabies-affected” in Sarawak.
The outbreak has claimed the lives of four children, aged between 4 and 7.