Dog demography, rabies awareness and dog bite cases in Bishoftu town, Ethiopia

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and animals and dogs are the primary source of infection. Information on domestic dog populations is vitally important for rabies control. The present study is to assess the demography of dogs, the incidence of dog bites, and the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the communities concerning rabies in Bishoftu town. Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from April to June 2021 involving a questionnaire survey and collection of retrospective patient records from healthcare facilities. A total of 244 respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire format to determine their KAP about rabies and dog ownership. Data on the incidence of dog bites and suspected cases of rabies from November 2019 to June 2021 were retrieved from the records of four health centers in Bishoftu town. In interviewed households (HH) 51.2 % owned at least one dog with a dog: human ratio of 1:9 and 1.54 dogs/household. In the participating households, 71% of dogs had been vaccinated against rabies. Almost all, 99% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode of transmission of rabies. However, 61.8%, had a moderate level of knowledge and 59.8% had an intermediate level of attitude, and 64.3% satisfactory level of appropriate rabies prevention practices score. There was a statistically significant association between knowledge score and age, occupation, and source of information as well as attitude score with age and source of information (p<0.05). Respondents who attend higher education were more likely to have higher practice scores in the prevention of rabies (p <0.05). There were significant correlations among the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practice (p<0.01). A total of 612 victims were registered and received the post-exposure vaccine in Bishoftu over two years (2019 to 2021). We identified critical knowledge gaps related to factors influencing rabies prevention and control. The veterinary and public health sectors should play an important role in educating and raising community awareness. Moreover, the production and use of the banned nerve tissue vaccine in the public health sector in Ethiopia need attention.