A 31-year-old Malaysian man has died from rabies after reportedly being bitten by a stray dog he had stopped to feed with bread.
Nik Muhamad Adha Nik Zulkifli had gone to the Changlun Farmers’ Market about a month ago to deliver goods to his wife, who runs a vegetable stall there.
While at the market, he reportedly noticed a hungry stray dog wandering into the area. Instead of chasing it away, he bought some bread and fed the animal.
However, the dog suddenly bit his hand, leaving him with a bleeding wound.
He was urged to seek treatment after the bite
Market trader Jamaliah Abdullah, 65, said the incident happened while it was drizzling. She believed the dog may have entered the market after being chased away by other traders.
According to Jamaliah, Adha was an animal lover and appeared to have fed the dog because he felt sorry for it. After seeing his injured hand, she advised him to seek medical attention immediately.
“I never imagined that I would receive news yesterday that he had died. I was shocked and could not believe he was gone,” she said.
Another trader, 77-year-old Halim Saidin, said he had been doing business at the market for around 40 years but had never seen a dog roaming in the area before. The market manager, Aziz Yusof, said the incident occurred about 60 metres from the market and clarified that Adha was not a trader there, but had been delivering goods to his wife.
Kedah’s first human rabies case since 1998
The Kedah Health Department confirmed that Adha was bitten by a stray dog in August and later died after contracting rabies.
He had sought treatment after the bite but did not receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). He later developed symptoms including fatigue, weakness and numbness in his right arm on September 18.
His condition worsened several days later, with difficulty swallowing, fear of water, fear of air or drafts, anxiety and behavioural changes. He sought medical attention again on September 23 and was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit.
Laboratory testing of clinical samples collected on September 24 confirmed the rabies infection two days later.
The Health Department said this was Kedah’s first reported human rabies case since 1998. Adha was laid to rest at the Kampung Changkat Setol Muslim Cemetery.
Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear, making prompt medical attention after a possible exposure especially important.
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