Amit Kumar, Sinha Shivani, Choudhary Sanjay Kumar, Kumar Sanjay, Moidu Muhsin
Community Medicine, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Nov 21;16(11):e74133. doi: 10.7759/cureus.74133. eCollection 2024 Nov.
Rabies continues to be a significant concern in India, with lots of deaths reported annually. Approximately one million people undergo post-exposure prophylaxis treatment annually, despite nearly two million dog bites occurring across the country. Notably, dogs are responsible for more than 99% of these bites. Public understanding of rabies treatment remains limited, with many incorrectly believing that it involves 14 injections following a dog bite. However, there is limited awareness about the potential severity of the disease if dog bites are not properly managed. Rabies, an ancient ailment, remains the most dreaded among all contagious diseases.
This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the people residing in rural Patna and also to identify the sociodemographic factors that might influence KAP regarding dog bites and their management.
A field-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the rural field practice area of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna. The study population comprised the patients attending the outpatient department (OPD) at the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Maner, during the study period. The study duration was about six months, that is, from November 2023 to April 2024.
The majority (56.4%) of the study population were of the age group 18-40 years. The major bulk of the study population was male, and most of them were illiterate, that is, 67.6%; only 5.2% of the study population were graduate and above. A higher percentage (30.9%) of the study population were farmers or laborers by occupation. About 53.9% of the study population belonged to the upper middle class. A significant difference was seen among age groups in knowledge concerning the cause of rabies (p=0.023), the spread of rabies by dogs (p=0.001), symptoms of rabies such as altered personality (p=0.001), the possibility of rabies cure (p=0.001), and the importance of seeking medical help promptly after a dog bite (p=0.004). Generally, younger patients showed higher awareness and knowledge regarding these aspects compared to older age groups.
The present study showed a significant knowledge gap with respect to cases of dog bite management in rural Patna. Even though awareness of rabies is present, there is an alarming lacuna in this awareness being converted to wound-washing practices and timely seeking of medical care. To decrease the risk associated with dog bites and rabies transmission, structured educational campaigns and community-level interventions are important. These measures can significantly improve rabies prevention in general and rural areas in particular.
狂犬病在印度仍然是一个重大问题，每年都有大量死亡报告。尽管印度全国每年发生近200万起犬咬伤事件，但每年仍有约100万人接受暴露后预防治疗。值得注意的是，超过99%的此类咬伤是由狗造成的。公众对狂犬病治疗的了解仍然有限，许多人错误地认为，被狗咬伤后需要注射14针。然而，如果犬咬伤得不到妥善处理，人们对该疾病潜在严重性的认识却很有限。狂犬病是一种古老的疾病，仍然是所有传染病中最可怕的。
本研究旨在评估巴特那农村地区居民的知识、态度和行为（KAP），并确定可能影响其对犬咬伤及其处理的KAP的社会人口学因素。
在巴特那英迪拉·甘地医学科学研究所（IGIMS）的农村实地实践区开展了一项基于实地的横断面研究。研究人群包括在研究期间前往马内尔农村卫生培训中心（RHTC）门诊部（OPD）就诊的患者。研究持续时间约为6个月，即从2023年11月至2024年4月。
研究人群中大多数（56.4%）为18 - 40岁年龄组。研究人群中大部分为男性，且大多数为文盲，即67.6%；只有5.2%的研究人群为本科及以上学历。按职业划分，较高比例（30.9%）的研究人群为农民或工人。约53.9%的研究人群属于中上层阶级。不同年龄组在狂犬病病因知识（p = 0.023）、狗传播狂犬病（p = 0.001）、狂犬病症状如性格改变（p = 0.001）、狂犬病治愈可能性（p = 0.001）以及被狗咬伤后及时寻求医疗帮助的重要性（p = 0.004）方面存在显著差异。总体而言，与老年组相比，年轻患者在这些方面表现出更高的认识和知识水平。
本研究表明，巴特那农村地区在犬咬伤处理病例方面存在显著的知识差距。尽管人们对狂犬病有一定认识，但在将这种认识转化为伤口清洗行为和及时寻求医疗护理方面存在令人担忧的空白。为降低与犬咬伤和狂犬病传播相关的风险，开展结构化教育活动和社区层面的干预措施很重要。这些措施总体上可显著改善狂犬病预防工作，特别是在农村地区。
