Khoubfekr Hekmatollah, Rahmanian Vahid, Jokar Mohammad, Balouchi Abbas, Pourvahed Ashkan
MSc of Epidemiology, Center of Health Vice-Chancellor of Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Iranshahr, Iran.
Assistant Professor in Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Torbat Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences, Torbat Jam, Iran.
J Prev Med Hyg. 2025 Jan 31;65(4):E491-E498. doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.4.3246. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Rabies remains a significant public health threat, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of animal bite injuries in Iranshahr, Iran, from 2019 to 2021.
A descriptive analysis was conducted on 6,085 animal bite incidents reported to Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences' rabies prevention centers between April 2019 and March 2021. Data collected included demographic information (age, gender, occupation, nationality), type of animal involved (dog, cat, etc.), timing of the incident, injury severity, and treatment received. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 19, ArcGIS version 10.8.2, and Excel 2019.
The average age of victims was 25.22 years, with males constituting 66.9% of cases. A significant majority (67.1%) of bites occurred in rural areas, and 38% of victims were under 19 years old. Dogs were responsible for 89.8% of bites, followed by cats at 5.2%. The highest incidence was noted in spring (30.8%). The cumulative incidence rate was 151 per 100,000 population, peaking at 253 per 100,000 in Rask City and dropping to 131 per 100,000 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the sampled animals suspected of rabies, eight were confirmed positive.
The findings indicate that school-aged children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to dog bites, highlighting the need for targeted educational programs. The presence of confirmed rabies cases in animals underscores the necessity for comprehensive control measures, including stray dog management and vaccination initiatives for domestic pets.
狂犬病仍然是一个重大的公共卫生威胁，尤其是在发展中国家。本研究旨在分析2019年至2021年伊朗伊兰沙赫尔动物咬伤的流行病学特征。
对2019年4月至2021年3月期间向伊兰沙赫尔医科大学狂犬病预防中心报告的6085起动物咬伤事件进行描述性分析。收集的数据包括人口统计学信息（年龄、性别、职业、国籍）、涉及的动物类型（狗、猫等）、事件发生时间、损伤严重程度以及接受的治疗。使用SPSS 19版、ArcGIS 10.8.2版和Excel 2019进行统计分析。
受害者的平均年龄为25.22岁，男性占病例的66.9%。绝大多数（67.1%）的咬伤发生在农村地区，38%的受害者年龄在19岁以下。狗造成了89.8%的咬伤，其次是猫，占5.2%。春季发病率最高（30.8%）。累积发病率为每10万人151例，在拉斯克市达到每10万人253例的峰值，并在新冠疫情的第一年降至每10万人131例。在疑似狂犬病的抽样动物中，有8只被确诊为阳性。
研究结果表明学龄儿童和青少年特别容易被狗咬伤，这突出了开展针对性教育项目的必要性。动物中确诊狂犬病病例的存在强调了采取全面控制措施的必要性，包括流浪狗管理和家养宠物的疫苗接种计划。
