Rabies victim able to speak, says mother

PETALING JAYA: Another rabies victim has been warded at the paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) after developing symptoms related to the virus.
The five-year-old girl is from one of the five villages categorised as a rabies-infected area in Serian, Sarawak.
Her mother said the girl is conscious and able to speak. She complained about her sore throat and rashes.
"I want to share my experience with the public," The Borneo Post quoted the unnamed mother as saying. "I advise those who are bitten by dogs to seek medical attention as soon as they can".
The woman said she went to her mother's village at Kampung Soroban Serian, which is a 10-minute drive from Serian town, on May 27 for Gawai Dayak. A dog bit her child on the left forearm.
"I panicked, but my mother managed to hit the dog, which later let go of my daughter," she said. "Our screams alerted the other villagers, who came to help. They stopped the dog from attacking us further".
She took her daughter to Serian Hospital where she received 12 stitches and given medication for her wound.
"My daughter was not sick when she returned to Serian Hospital on June 2, to remove the stitches – she's able to play with her siblings and friends when she got home," she said.
However, a month after the incident the girl felt ill and suffered muscle pains. This prompted the family to rush her to Serian Hospital again.
The girl was transferred to SGH on Tuesday. "We are praying for her to get well and go back to do her normal things soon", the mother said.
On Tuesday, Malaysia recorded its first rabies fatalities in almost 20 years with the deaths of Monica Mazlan, six, and Jackson Mazlan, four.