KANGAR, Sept 30 — Awareness of rabies among dog owners in Perlis is still low, says public health specialist Dr Zulhizzam Abdullah.

Dr Zulhizzam, attached to the disease control division of the Perlis Health Department attributed this to animal owners who were not so concerned about the outbreak of rabies in the state although 35 cases of dog bite were recorded as of Monday.

“Moreover, many pet owners have not completed the anti-rabies vaccine schedule,” he told a media briefing on the outbreak of rabies at the department’s headquarters here yesterday.

Meanwhile in Ipoh, UNIKL Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL-RCMP) chairman, Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob said rabid animals should be eliminated to prevent the spread of the disease in the country.

He said rabies which was prevalent in several northern states of Peninsular Malaysia could be transmitted to humans through bites. 

“The vaccine to prevent rabies is quite costly. Therefore, we need to choose a way to eliminate these dogs,” Dr Yusof told a press conference after the launch of the Second International Conference on Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases: Diseases Without Borders — Challenges and Preparedness here.

The three-day conference began yesterday with the participation of several countries, including Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and the United Kingdom. — Bernama