Durban University of Technology - Steve Biko Campus, Nursing.
Durban University of Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences.
Afr Health Sci. 2020 Mar;20(1):150-157. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v20i1.20.
South Africa is one of the countries in Africa adversely affected by rabies, a notifiable disease which can be fatal. Fatalities can be prevented if health care is sought timeously and people are educated about the disease. The Province of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, in particular, has had rabies outbreaks in the past which have led to loss of many lives and devastation of entire families.
The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of people affected by rabies in the eThekwini district of Kwa-Zulu-Natal, South Africa.
The study was guided by a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design. The sample was purposively selected, and a semi-structured interview was used to collect data from people affected by rabies in the eThekwini district. Data saturation was reached after 12 participants were interviewed. Data was analysed by using Tesch's eight steps of thematic analysis.
The themes included family stability and support structures, exposure to risk factors and risky practices, factors that hindered participants from seeking health care assistance, limited knowledge about rabies and the effects of rabies.
It was evident that participants experienced many challenges during their rabies exposure. Individuals, who were directly affected by rabies through contact with rabid animals, were expected to take responsibility for their own lives.
南非是受狂犬病影响的非洲国家之一，狂犬病是一种须报告的疾病，可致命。如果及时寻求医疗保健并对人们进行疾病教育，就可以预防死亡。特别是夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省过去曾爆发过狂犬病疫情，导致许多人丧生，整个家庭受到重创。
本研究旨在探讨南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省埃滕哈赫区受狂犬病影响的人的经历。
本研究采用定性、探索性、描述性设计。样本是经过精心挑选的，采用半结构式访谈从埃滕哈赫区受狂犬病影响的人那里收集数据。在 12 名参与者接受访谈后，达到了数据饱和。使用 Tesch 的八项主题分析步骤对数据进行分析。
主题包括家庭稳定性和支持结构、接触风险因素和危险行为、阻碍参与者寻求医疗保健的因素、对狂犬病的有限了解以及狂犬病的影响。
显然，参与者在狂犬病暴露期间经历了许多挑战。直接通过接触狂犬病动物而受到狂犬病影响的个人，应对自己的生命负责。
