Dinbiso Tegegn Dilbato, Mekonnen Abebe Tibebu, Olana Tolesa Negasa, Ayana Gudina Mekonnen, Kelbesa Kebede Abdisa, Deso Hana Dejene, Gudina Segni Bedasa, Biru Moges Kidane, Hordofa Mulatu Ayana, Berecha Mekonnen Sorsa
Department of Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ambo University, Guder Mamo Mezemir Campus, Ambo, Ethiopia.
Department of Livestock and Fisheries Development Core Work Process, Ilu Gelan District Agriculture Office, Ejaji, Oromia, Ethiopia.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Apr 8;12:1448448. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1448448. eCollection 2025.
Rabies remains a major public and veterinary health problem in most developing countries, including Ethiopia. Despite its importance in public health, no systematic study has been conducted in the area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice and to estimate the incidence and spatial distribution of rabies in humans and animals in the Southwest Shewa zone of Oromia, Ethiopia.
A questionnaire-based cross-sectional and retrospective study designs were employed among 422 randomly selected informants potentially at risk of rabies. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study utilized retrospective data from individuals admitted for rabies between 2017 and 2021 to analyze and map the epidemiological distribution of the disease using ArcGIS. Furthermore, descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were employed to analyze the data.
This study revealed that the level of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good prevention practices toward rabies among the communities was 58.3, 47.9, and 54.2%, respectively. The proportion of respondents who own dogs (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.050-2.873, = 0.032), live in urban areas (OR = 10.7, 95% CI: 1.106-103, = 0.042), and have a higher degree of education (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.061-5.513, = 0.036) were statistically significantly associated with good knowledge scores toward rabies. Private workers and urban residents were statistically associated with positive attitude scores on rabies ( < 0.05). Living in urban areas (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.596-5.407, = 0.000) and Weliso district (OR = 10, 95% CI: 4.099-24.560, = 0.000) had good prevention practice scores toward rabies. A total of 529 suspected rabies cases with an overall incidence of 44.9 cases per 100,000 population in humans and 127 suspected rabies cases with an overall incidence of 3.4 cases per 100,000 population in animals were registered from 2017 to 2021.
The level of knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice toward rabies was found to be inadequate. Therefore, awareness creation programs and effective and well-organized prevention and control measures should be employed, with a special focus on identified risk factors, to reduce disease burdens through a One Health (OH) approach.
狂犬病在包括埃塞俄比亚在内的大多数发展中国家仍然是一个主要的公共卫生和兽医卫生问题。尽管其在公共卫生方面具有重要性，但该地区尚未进行系统研究。因此，本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚奥罗米亚州西南绍阿地区人类和动物对狂犬病的知识、态度和实践，并估计狂犬病的发病率及空间分布。
对422名随机选取的有潜在狂犬病风险的受访者采用基于问卷的横断面和回顾性研究设计。使用半结构化问卷收集数据。该研究利用2017年至2021年期间因狂犬病入院的个体的回顾性数据，使用ArcGIS分析并绘制该疾病的流行病学分布图。此外，采用描述性统计和逻辑回归模型分析数据。
本研究显示，社区中对狂犬病具有良好知识、积极态度和良好预防实践的水平分别为58.3%、47.9%和54.2%。拥有狗的受访者比例（比值比[OR]=1.7，95%置信区间[CI]：1.050 - 2.873，P = 0.032）、居住在城市地区的受访者比例（OR = 10.7，95% CI：1.106 - 103，P = 0.042）以及受教育程度较高的受访者比例（OR = 2.4，95% CI：1.061 - 5.513，P = 0.036）与对狂犬病的良好知识得分在统计学上显著相关。私营企业员工和城市居民与对狂犬病的积极态度得分在统计学上相关（P < 0.05）。居住在城市地区（OR = 2.9，95% CI：1.596 - 5.407，P = 0.000）和韦利索区（OR = 10，95% CI：4.099 - 24.560，P = 0.000）对狂犬病有良好的预防实践得分。2017年至2021年期间，共登记了529例疑似狂犬病病例，人类总体发病率为每10万人44.9例，动物疑似狂犬病病例127例，总体发病率为每10万人3.4例。
发现对狂犬病的知识、积极态度和良好实践水平不足。因此，应采用提高认识计划以及有效且组织良好的预防和控制措施，特别关注已确定的风险因素，通过“同一健康”（OH）方法减轻疾病负担。
