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Low awareness about rabies: BJMC study
Recent study by BJMC has found that individuals with dog bites visiting hospitals for treatment have limited awareness of animal bites and rabies
PUNE: A recent study undertaken by doctors and experts of BJ Medical College (BJMC) discovered individuals with dog bites visiting hospitals for treatment have limited awareness of animal bites and rabies, posing a significant challenge to the government’s goal of eradicating rabies from India by 2030.
The study ‘Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practise (KAP) regarding rabies and its prevention among patients travelling to Tertiary Care Hospital’ was published (November Edition) in the International Journal of Scientific Research. Dr Rajesh Belamkar, Dr Poonam Nimgade, Dr Muralidhar Tambe, Dr Malangori Parande, Dr Mangesh Nanaware, and Dr. Advay Kulsulkar conducted the study.
According to the researchers, between February and May 2023, a cross-sectional investigation was conducted at the Sassoon General Hospital on 384 individuals with dog bites. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding animal bites and rabies among people who visited the hospital with dog bites, to identify characteristics associated with KAP regarding animal bites and rabies, and to examine the socio-demographic profile of participants.
Data for the study was gathered through a semi-structured, pre-planned interview procedure. Each patient participant was asked twenty-one questions about the cause, sources, and mode of transmission of rabies, clinical aspects, and rabies preventive and treatment techniques.
“When asked, just 46 (11.97%) of 384 patients knew rabies is a lethal disease that requires prompt medical attention, whereas 322 (83.8%) patients knew about the necessity for a vaccine shot following a dog bite.
“Only 2 (0.5%) of the 384 patients questioned knew what immunoglobulins were, while the remaining 382 (99.47%) had little information about the same,” the study revealed.
Dr. Rajesh A. Belamkar, said, “When asked about preventive measures for rabies immediately after a dog bite, only 7(1.8%) participants had the right attitude of needing to wash the wound of dog bite with soap and water immediately for 15 minutes; while 9 patients said they preferred applying turmeric powder on wound post dog bite. However, the majority of them 348 (90.6%) said they would take the patient to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.”
The study recommends that there is a need to disseminate information, education, and communication (IEC) materials for mass awareness campaigns promoting basic rabies knowledge.
It also suggests that governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) conduct comprehensive IEC activities in schools and colleges to improve understanding and awareness among school-age children.
