Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Jun;5(6):e1054. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001054. Epub 2011 Jun 28.
Rabies is a fatal encephalitis caused by lyssaviruses. Evidence of lyssavirus circulation has recently emerged in Southeast Asian bats. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thailand to assess rabies-related knowledge and practices among persons regularly exposed to bats and bat habitats. The objectives were to identify deficiencies in rabies awareness, describe the occurrence of bat exposures, and explore factors associated with transdermal bat exposures.
A survey was administered to a convenience sample of adult guano miners, bat hunters, game wardens, and residents/personnel at Buddhist temples where mass bat roosting occurs. The questionnaire elicited information on demographics, experience with bat exposures, and rabies knowledge. Participants were also asked to describe actions they would take in response to a bat bite as well as actions for a bite from a potentially rabid animal. Bivariate analysis was used to compare responses between groups and multivariable logistic regression was used to explore factors independently associated with being bitten or scratched by a bat.
Of 106 people interviewed, 11 (10%) identified bats as a potential source of rabies. A history of a bat bite or scratch was reported by 29 (27%), and 38 (36%) stated either that they would do nothing or that they did not know what they would do in response to a bat bite. Guano miners were less likely than other groups to indicate animal bites as a mechanism of rabies transmission (68% vs. 90%, p=0.03) and were less likely to say they would respond appropriately to a bat bite or scratch (61% vs. 27%, p=0.003). Guano mining, bat hunting, and being in a bat cave or roost area more than 5 times a year were associated with history of a bat bite or scratch.
These findings indicate the need for educational outreach to raise awareness of bat rabies, promote exposure prevention, and ensure appropriate health-seeking behaviors for bat-inflicted wounds, particularly among at-risk groups in Thailand.
狂犬病是一种由狂犬病病毒引起的致命脑炎。最近在东南亚蝙蝠中出现了狂犬病病毒循环的证据。在泰国进行了一项横断面研究,以评估经常接触蝙蝠和蝙蝠栖息地的人对狂犬病相关知识和实践的了解。目的是确定狂犬病意识的不足,描述蝙蝠暴露的发生,并探讨与经皮蝙蝠暴露相关的因素。
对便利样本中的成年鸟粪矿工、蝙蝠猎人、狩猎管理员和大规模蝙蝠栖息地聚居的佛教寺庙的居民/人员进行了问卷调查。问卷收集了人口统计学信息、蝙蝠暴露经验和狂犬病知识。还要求参与者描述他们在被蝙蝠咬伤时将采取的行动以及对可能患有狂犬病的动物咬伤的行动。采用单变量分析比较组间的反应,采用多变量逻辑回归探索与被蝙蝠咬伤或抓伤相关的独立因素。
在接受采访的 106 人中,有 11 人(10%)认为蝙蝠是狂犬病的潜在来源。有 29 人(27%)报告了蝙蝠咬伤或抓伤的病史,38 人(36%)表示他们要么什么都不做,要么不知道在被蝙蝠咬伤时该怎么办。鸟粪矿工比其他群体更不可能将动物咬伤作为狂犬病传播的机制(68%对 90%,p=0.03),也更不可能表示他们会对蝙蝠咬伤或抓伤做出适当反应(61%对 27%,p=0.003)。鸟粪采矿、蝙蝠狩猎以及每年在蝙蝠洞穴或栖息地超过 5 次与蝙蝠咬伤或抓伤的病史有关。
这些发现表明需要开展教育宣传活动,提高对蝙蝠狂犬病的认识,促进暴露预防,并确保对蝙蝠造成的伤口采取适当的寻医行为,特别是在泰国的高危人群中。