KUCHING, July 13 — Kampung Tangga in Sarawak was today declared a rabies-infected area, raising to seven the number of rabies-infected villages in the Serian district.

This was announced in a statement by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee.

The six other villages are Kampung Paon Sungai Rimu, Kampung Paon Sungai Rimu Bakung, Kampung Remun, Kampung Lebor, Kampung Krait and Kampung Saroban.

Kampung Saroban was declared rabies-infected yesterday. The five other villages were so declared on July 4.

Also on that date, a vaccination exercise was launched for all pet animals in an area within a 10-km radius of the villages.

Three children, two girls and a boy, have died of rabies in Sarawak in the current outbreak detected at the end of last month. Two of them, a six-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother, died on July 4 while a seven-year-old girl died today, all at the Sarawak General Hospital here.

Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Customary Rights Land and Regional Development, said that so far the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department and relevant government agencies and NGOs had vaccinated 1,975 pet animals, comprising 464 dogs, 1,493 cats and 18 other animals such as squirrels and monkeys.

He also said that the Veterinary Services Department conducted 60 public-awareness campaigns for 3,735 people.

"Today, the vaccination teams conducted their exercise in Kampung Slabi, Kampung Tangga Mawang, Kampung Ranchan, Kampung Rasau, Kampung Koran and Kampung Sorak,” he said.

Uggah said the department and the Sarawak Veterinary Association would conduct a large-scale vaccination exercise in Serian town on July 15 and 16 from 10 am to 4 pm at four venues.

"These venues are Balai Babuk Gawing, Serian Community Hall, Serian Veterinary Office and Serian District Council. I urge all people who have pet animals to take them to these places for the vaccination, which is given free of charge,” he said. — Bernama