KUCHING: A six-year-old Indonesian girl has died of rabies in Bintulu, Sarawak Health Department director Dr Veronica Lugah confirmed.

Dr Veronica said the child, who lived with her family on a plantation, began showing symptoms on July 31, including headache, fever, neck pain and loss of appetite, according to the Borneo Post.

"She (the child) was admitted to Bintulu Hospital on Aug 3, where she developed hallucinations, hydrophobia, aerophobia and hypersalivation. She died the following day.

"Investigations revealed she had been bitten by a stray dog on July 16 outside her home. The dog was later captured and tested positive for rabies by the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department," Dr Veronica said.

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She said that the cumulative number of human rabies cases in Sarawak now stands at 85 since the outbreak was declared in July 2017, with 78 fatalities or a fatality rate of 91.7 per cent.

She noted that the two human rabies cases reported this year marked a decrease from five cases recorded during the same period last year.

"The Sarawak Health Department would like to remind the public that Sarawak is still not free from the rabies epidemic.

"The disease can be spread through bites or scratches, as well as exposure to the saliva of mammals infected with rabies, especially dogs and cats," she said.

Dr Veronica urged the public to avoid contact with strays and to wash bite or scratch wounds with soap under running water for at least 15 minutes before seeking treatment at the nearest Post-Bite Clinic.

She also warned against handling dead animals without a known cause of death and emphasised the importance of annual anti-rabies vaccination for all pet dogs and cats.

"Parents must remind children to stay away from animals that may carry rabies. Community cooperation is vital to ensure effective prevention and control measures," she said.