Epidemiological Characteristic of Animal Bite and Direct Economic Burden of Rabies Vaccination in the Southern of Iran

Abdolreza Sotoodeh Jahromi,Vahid Rahmanian,Iman Hatami,Heshmatollah Shakeri,Masihollah Shakeri,Hekmatollah Khoubfekr

doi:10.3844/ajavsp.2020.245.251

Abstract

The ever-increasing cases of animal bites caused by rabies, livestock losses, as well as economic damages are of utmost importance in developing countries. This study was conducted to determine the epidemiology and the direct economic burden of rabies vaccination in southern Iran in 2018. In this study, 375 cases of animal bites which were recorded in Rabies Treatment Centers of Larestan County, Iran were entered into the study by census method. The data were collected from the registered office profile of people who had referred to these centers. The variables examined included victims’ demographic characteristics, bite specifications, spatial and temporal patterns, victims’ clinical dimensions and vaccination costs. Of 375 registered cases, 83.7% of the cases were male and there was no statistically significant difference between the mean age of males (30.82±17.31) and females (30.49±18.79) (P = 0.895). As well, 58.7% of the victims were residing in urban areas and farmers (25.6%) and students (23.9%) were the most frequent occupational groups suffering from animal bites %) (p<0.001). The most cases of the bites i.e., 68% had been also produced by dogs and 64% of them were from the owned biting animals. As well, direct costs were estimated US$ 9373 for vaccine, US$ 24115 for rabies RIG and the US$ 33488 cumulative economic burden in the studied period. In conclusion, it is found that the major cases of animal bites in Larestan County had been caused by dogs and owned biting animals which could impose a heavy burden on Iran’s economy.

Highlights

Rabies is known as one of the most dangerous viral zoonotic diseases that can infect all mammals (Tiembré et al, 2018)
In Iran, surveillance system carries out primary prevention (Post-Exposure Treatment-PET) for total animal bite cases, regardless of the animal's carrier status of rabies virus for prevention of rabies (Abedi et al, 2019; Gholami et al, 2017)
The results of this study revealed that the incidence rate of animal bites in the county of Larestan was estimated by 170 per 100,000 population in 2018

Summary

Introduction

Rabies is known as one of the most dangerous viral zoonotic diseases that can infect all mammals (Tiembré et al, 2018). Despite being preventable and given the existence of safe and effective vaccines, rabies has still remained a major health problem in numerous countries across the world (Kasem et al, 2019; Banyard et al, 2018). The given disease is still recognized as one of the health-related and economic problems and almost infection cases with rabies are observed more or less in all provinces in Iran (Abedi et al, 2019; Hamta et al, 2019). In Iran, surveillance system carries out primary prevention (Post-Exposure Treatment-PET) for total animal bite cases, regardless of the animal's carrier status of rabies virus for prevention of rabies (Abedi et al, 2019; Gholami et al, 2017)

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion