Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Non-Vaccination Of Dogs Against Rabies In Ibadan, Nigeria

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Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects human, domestic and wild animals. It is an acute, highly contagious and fatal disease caused by a bullet – shaped, enveloped RNA virus 180-75nm known as Lyssavirus type 1 and marked by a1mg and variable incubation period (Oboegbulem,. 1994). It is transmitted to animals and humans through close contact with saliva from infected animals. Once symptoms of the disease develop, rabies is fatal to both animals and humans (WHO, 200l). In Nigeria where dog bites continue to be the main mode of transmission of the disease to man, it remains a serious public health hazard. (Thorne, 1954; Ezeokoli et al. 1984; Ikede and Adeyemi, 1984). Reliable data on rabies are scarce in many areas of the globe, making it difficult to assess its full impact on human and animal health (WHO 2001). Since dog has been established as the predominant vector of rabies in Nigeria, the most logical and cost – effective approach to rabies control is elimination of stray and owner less dogs combined with a programme of single mass immunization in the shortest possible time, at least 80% of the entire dog population (WHO, 2001). The retrospective dog rabies vaccination evaluated at Ibadan carried out by Adeyemi (2000) showed that there is low response of dog owners to routine control of dog rabies by immunization. Effective, practicable and acceptable control strategy can only be put in place after the socio-economic facts associated with dog owners in each community have been studied. This paper reports the socioeconomic factors associated with Non-vaccination of dogs in Ibadan city, Nigeria. Keywords: Owned-dogs, anti-rabies vaccination, zoonosis, Ibadan cityNigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 28 (3) 2007 pp. 59-63