Socio Demographic Factors Associated with Vaccination of Dogs against Rabies and Dog Bite Management in Nyimba District

Abstract

Rabies is a Zoonotic disease acquired through either bites or scratches from rabies infected animals especially dogs. There is currently no known treatment for rabies infection but rabies post exposure prophylaxis helps prevent rabies in humans when administered to manage dog bites before rabies symptoms are seen in the victim. Vaccinating dogs against rabies is the most effective means of preventing rabies transmission from dogs to humans. Nyimba district has recorded high incidences of dog bites although the number of vaccinated dogs is low. The aim of this study was to identify the socio demographic factors which influence dog vaccination and dog bite management in the district. A mixed methods cross sectional design was used to conduct the study which was divided into 3 parts; evaluation of dog bite case records, household survey of 300 households selected through convenient sampling and in-depth key informant interviews. Collected data was analyzed using STATA version 12. The study found that 215 dog bite cases occurred from 2013 to 2015 and 188 (93.1%) of these were caused by unvaccinated dogs and 14 (6.9%) were caused by vaccinated dogs. Rabies post exposure prophylaxis was recommended for management of 93.2% of the dog bite cases. Washing of bite wounds as a first response to dog bite management was lacking in most of the cases as 72.3% of the cases occurred in rural areas were water was not available. The area of residence, the ownership status and vaccination status of the dogs involved in bite cases were associated with the recommendation of the type of management received following a dog bite. The household survey covered 300 households and a total human population of 1,970 and 655 dogs. The results showed that the rabies vaccination coverage was 8.7%. The age, occupation and area of residence of dog owners were the factors found to be associated with dog vaccination. The main local barriers to dog vaccination were identified to be unwillingness of dog owners to pay to have their dogs vaccinated, poor dissemination of dog vaccination information and the lack of resources for implementation. The rabies control strategies used in the district were adopted from developed countries whose social background was different hence the desired results could not be achieved. Dog movement restriction was impossible due to the lack of barriers around households and dog owners were not able to tie up their dogs. It was not possible to control the dog population by culling stray dogs because there was no means of differentiating owned dogs from stray dogs. iv Dog vaccination was found to be well understood and accepted by the community but only a few dog owners could afford it. Implementers were challenged by the operational constraints such as inadequate resources and manpower. Rabies post exposure prophylaxis wastage was found to be highly probable as some dog bites were provoked by the victims. Stakeholders involved in rabies control need to boost the local production of rabies vaccine in order to reduce the cost of dog vaccination. The district should not solely depend on government funding for rabies control, decentralizing rabies control to district level could ensure that planned vaccination campaigns are carried out.