In an interview with Sunday Star, Dr Quaza said the department was looking into setting up a rabies “immune belt” along the Kalimantan border in Sabah and Sarawak. Currently, Malaysia has a rabies immune belt, set up since 1955, in an area in northern Peninsular Malaysia ranging 50km to 80km from the Thai border where the authorities are on constant alert for rabies cases. Areas in states like Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and northern Perak are covered by the immune belt. The outcome of the risk assessment study would determine whether a rabies “immune belt” would be created to prevent another outbreak. On vaccines, Dr Quaza said the country currently has 20,000 doses of rabies vaccines and it is sufficient for now.

Source: The Star July 15, 2017 23:03 UTC