Mallikarjuna Sushma, Jeshanah Merlin Shruthi
Community Medicine, St. Peter's Medical College, Hosur, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 11;16(9):e69159. doi: 10.7759/cureus.69159. eCollection 2024 Sep.
The most common way for people to contract the deadly zoonotic disease rabies is through animal bites. This study was designed because there is a shortage of community-based data to determine the true extent of rabies infection and a lack of understanding regarding patient misconceptions in urban areas. The objective was to determine the scope of the issue and the epidemiological features of animal bite incidents.
This was a facility-based cross-sectional study conducted at the field practice area (Urban Health Training Centre) under the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College. The study duration was one year (May 2023 to April 2024). Consecutive patients (accompanied by an attendant) attending the Urban Health Training Centre were included in the study. A purposive sampling technique was used, and around 400 animal bite cases were recorded in one year at the Urban Health Training Centre.
Out of 1503 male cases at the Urban Health Training Centre, around 255 were dog bite cases (50.6%), whereas out of 1302 females visiting the Urban Health Training Centre, around 145 were dog bite cases (48%). The majority (35%) belonged to the age group of 11 to 20 years for both males and females. The mean age of the cases was 19.4 ± 3.4 years. The study found a male preponderance (64%), with females constituting 36%. The right lower limb (49.5%), left lower limb (39%), and upper limb were the most frequently bitten sites. Fifty-one percent of the cases fell into Category II. According to local data, the most popular home management practices were ghee oil and cold treatments. Although Category III is the most severe bite, only 35% had taken the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), and 8.75% had received rabies immunoglobulin.
The public and medical community need to be made aware of the importance of wound care and the prudent use of the anti-rabies vaccine.
人们感染致命人畜共患疾病狂犬病最常见的途径是通过动物咬伤。开展这项研究是因为缺乏基于社区的数据来确定狂犬病感染的真实程度，并且对城市地区患者的误解缺乏了解。目的是确定该问题的范围以及动物咬伤事件的流行病学特征。
这是一项在政府医学院社区医学系下属的现场实践区（城市卫生培训中心）开展的基于机构的横断面研究。研究持续时间为一年（2023年5月至2024年4月）。连续到城市卫生培训中心就诊的患者（有陪同人员）被纳入研究。采用了立意抽样技术，城市卫生培训中心一年内记录了约400例动物咬伤病例。
在城市卫生培训中心的1503例男性病例中，约255例为狗咬伤病例（50.6%），而在到城市卫生培训中心就诊的1302例女性中，约145例为狗咬伤病例（48%）。男性和女性的大多数（35%）属于11至二十岁年龄组。病例的平均年龄为19.4±3.4岁。研究发现男性占优势（64%），女性占36%。右下肢（49.5%）、左下肢（39%）和上肢是最常被咬伤的部位。51%的病例属于二级暴露。根据当地数据，最常见的家庭处理方法是使用酥油和冷敷。虽然三级暴露是最严重的咬伤，但只有35%的人接种了抗狂犬病疫苗（ARV），8.75%的人接受了狂犬病免疫球蛋白。
需要让公众和医学界认识到伤口护理以及谨慎使用抗狂犬病疫苗的重要性。
