Pattern of dog bite injuries, dog vaccination coverage and post-exposure prophylaxis against rabies among dog owners in Sokoto, Nigeria
Journal Title: International Archives of Medical and Health Research - Year 2019, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Periodic mass dog vaccination and prompt administration of post-exposure prophylaxis against rabies are believed to be crucial to reducing the high burden of endemic canine rabies in the at-risk communities around the world. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dog bite injuries, dog vaccination coverage and post-exposure prophylaxis against rabies among dog owners in Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 190 dog owners selected by multistage sampling technique. Data were collected with a set of pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire; and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20 software. Results: Close to a quarter, 45 (23.7%) of the 190 respondents reported that either themselves or a member of their family have ever experienced a dog bite injury, with majority 38 (62.3%) of the 61 dog bite victims being children aged ≤ 12 years. Less than a third of respondents (28.4%) reported vaccinating their dog(s) in the last 12 months. Less than half, 25 (41.0%) of the 61 dog bite victims were commenced on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies; of these, only about a third (36.0%) had the complete PEP doses. Conclusion: Whereas, the prevalence of dog bite injuries was relatively high among the respondents in this study, with majority of the victims being children aged ≤ 12 years, dog vaccination coverage and uptake of PEP against rabies by them were low. Government and other stakeholders should promote responsible dog ownership, organize periodic mass dog vaccination campaigns, and make anti-rabies vaccine accessible to the populace.
Authors and Affiliations
Dr Abdulaziz L. Abdulsalam
Keywords
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