Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Rabies among Human and Animal Health Professionals in Senegal.

Mouhamadou Faly Ba,Oumar Bassoum,Adama Faye,Sara Danièle Dieng,Andre Pouwedeou Bedekelabou,Oumy Kaltome Boh,Fatoumata Zahra Mohamed Mboup,Valéry Ridde,Médoune Badiane,Mamadou Kindi Korka Diallo,Fatimata Niang Diop,Ndèye Mbacké Kane,El Hadji Bilal Faye

doi:10.3390/pathogens10101282

Abstract

Rabies is still a public health problem in Senegal. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices on rabies among human and animal health professionals. It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study conducted in the Kaffrine district. Data were collected from 28 June to 01 July 2021. An exhaustive recruitment was done, and the final sample size was 95 health professionals. R software was used for descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses. Health professionals with sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes and good practices in relation to rabies represented 35.8%, 26.3% and 45.3% of the study respectively. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that professionals who worked in urban areas (AOR = 11.10; 95% CI = [3.50–41.69]) and who worked in animal health (AOR = 7.45; 95% CI = [1.16–70.40]) were more likely to have sufficient knowledge about rabies. Professionals with tertiary education (AOR = 12.40; CI95% = [1.80–268.00]) and with sufficient knowledge (AOR = 3.41; CI95% = [1.01–12.70]) were more likely to have a positive attitude about rabies. Professionals with a positive attitude about rabies (AOR = 3.23; 95% CI = [1.08–10.70]) were more likely to have a good practice when presented with an animal bite case. These results suggest that improving health professionals’ knowledge about rabies is essential in order to influence their attitudes and practices against rabies.

Highlights

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Rabies is considered to be one of the oldest infectious diseases affecting mammals [1].The disease is caused by a rhabdovirus and is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of a rabid animal [2]
The results of the multivariate analysis showed that professionals who worked in urban areas (ORA = 11.10; CI95% = [3.50–41.69]) and who worked in animal health (ORA = 7.45; CI95% = [1.16–70.40])
Our study provides a picture of the current knowledge, attitudes and practices of human and animal health professionals on rabies

Summary

Introduction

Rabies is considered to be one of the oldest infectious diseases affecting mammals [1]. The disease is caused by a rhabdovirus and is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of a rabid animal [2]. It is a major zoonotic disease that threatens global public health [3]. It causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths per year, affecting over 150 countries [4], with. Asia being the most affected region, followed by Africa [5,6,7].

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