Features of dog ecology relevant to rabies spread in Machakos District, Kenya.

A random sample of households in Machakos District of Kenya was surveyed using personal interviews to determine features of dog ecology relevant to the spread of rabies. A mean of 1.35 dogs/household, a dog to person ratio of 1:9.6 and a mean of 10.4 dogs/km2 were estimated. The male to female ratio was 1:0.67 with 26% of the dog population being less than three months old. The dogs had a mean age of 1.8 years. The proportion of the dogs which fed on household leftovers and waste was 94.7%. Dogs were restricted in 19.4% of the households, while 69% of the dogs spent all of their time free outdoors. One-third of the dog population over three months old had been vaccinated against rabies. Considering the endemic status of rabies in Machakos District, methods which could be devised to control the disease are discussed.