Deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan said the Sarawak disaster management committee made the announcement after the virus was discovered in stray dogs at Bazaar Lawas in the district, which is the main entry point to the state through Sabah’s Sipitang southwestern district.
The market is only about 11km from the Merapok-Sindumin Immigration-Quarantine-Security checkpoint.
Kitingan, who is also state agriculture and fisheries minister, said Sabah had made early preparation against rabies following the first announcement of rabies infection in Serian, Sarawak on July 1, 2017.
“This involves simulation exercises, public awareness campaigns and vaccination of dogs, cats and other carriers at all entry points into the state,” he said, in a statement here today.
“Since the rabies outbreak in Sarawak, Sabah has also banned the importation of cats and dogs. The ban is still in effect.
“By 2020, 80% of pets at the borders had been vaccinated, far exceeding the 70% target. In addition, outside of these border areas, vaccines for rabies are available from private veterinary clinics.”
The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) provided the vaccines free of charge to all dog and cat owners in Sipitang via its office in the district.
The goal is to boost the pets’ immunity, as rabies is preventable through regular vaccinations. Increased immunity among pets will also keep the virus from infecting humans.
Kitingan said the free vaccine initiative will be expanded to neighbouring districts, such as Tenom and Beaufort.
“Awareness campaigns will be intensified, particularly among residents of border towns and villages, to ensure the people are aware of the danger of the virus and play an active role in preventing it from entering Sabah.
“The awareness campaigns will run concurrently with the Covid-19 outreach programme in all targeted districts, in collaboration with other agencies such as the district offices, district information offices and district health offices.”
He added a rabies-carrying animal population management effort aimed at achieving “zero stray” status will also be implemented, with a focus on border districts.
Kitingan said this is to protect the communities from the potential of rabies-causing bites if stray animals have been infected by other animals from neighbouring Sarawak.
Furthermore, he said, sampling for viral detection in stray animals will be expanded to ensure that preventive actions may be taken effectively.
African swine flu
On the African swine flu (ASF) issue, he said, the interior Keningau district has become the latest district to be declared an ASF-outbreak area.
This came after the virus was discovered in backyard pigs in Kampung Bandukan Lama, where 24 pigs were reported dead due to the virus.
“Preliminary investigation suggested that the ASF may have been brought into the village by wild bearded pigs. Prior to the death of the domestic pigs, the DVS received a report of a dead wild bearded pig in a forest near the village.
“Keningau has about 1,000 pigs in total, and all of them are at risk of infection due to insufficient biosecurity level.
“Therefore, the DVS is currently conducting awareness campaigns in the district to advise the community not to move their pigs or pork products without permission from the department,” Kitingan said.
Although the virus has been found in 12 districts statewide, he said, Pitas and Kota Marudu are now classified as “yellow index” districts after no new ASF cases were reported in the past 60 days.
A yellow index zone means that pig repopulation is permitted as long as the farm improves its biosecurity and the pigs are sourced from ASF-free farms.
However, the transportation of pigs and pork still requires authorisation from the DVS.
“My ministry through the DVS will constantly monitor developments on the ground and implement the necessary steps to prevent ASF from spreading to commercial farms,” he said.