KUCHING: A 26-year-old man has become the seventh person to succumb to rabies since the virus was detected in Sarawak early last year.
The man, from Taman Seri Makmur, Baru 6, Matang, died at the Sarawak General Hospital on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the State Disaster Management Committee, the man was bitten by a stray dog on Dec 23, but did not seek treatment at hospital and instead obtained medicine from a nearby pharmacy.
Last month, the man suffered muscle spasms, numbness and a headache and sought treatment at a private clinic on March 29 and 30, before being referred to the Sarawak General Hospital.
“He had symptoms of hydrophobia, aerophobia, headache, hallucinations, overall weakness and paralysis.
“His condition worsened and he died on April 3,” the committee said.
It added that since June 30 last year, eight cases of rabies in humans have been detected, resulting in seven deaths.
To date, the state government has announced that 30 areas in five divisions in Sarawak are rabies-infected. – BERNAMA