Awareness of Rabies among the Adults in a Community, Kathmandu

Abstract

Background: Rabies is a fatal disease caused by the bite of rabid animals and is a serious public concern, particularly in Asia and Africa. The death rate due to rabies is on the rise, and most of the cases are seen in developing countries of Asia and Africa. Hence, this study aims to find out the awareness of rabies among adults in a community.  

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 77 adults residing in Gokarneshwor municipality ward no.9, Kathmandu. Samples were collected through a non-probability convenience sampling technique. A structured interview schedule was developed in the Nepali language and used for collecting the data. The collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16 and interpreted using descriptive statistical and inferential methods.

Results: The findings of the study showed that more than half (50.6%) of the respondents were between the age group of 20 to 39 years, with a mean age of 38.71 years. More than half (54.5%) were female. Only 16.9% respondents had owned a pet dog. All the respondents (100%) were aware that rabies is caused by the bite of an animal.  Almost all (97.4%) respondents were aware that bites and scratches are the mode of transmission of rabies, and most (84.4%) of the respondents knew that the wound should be washed with soap and water. Only 6.5% had adequate awareness, nearly three-fourth (72.7%) had moderate awareness, and nearly one-fourth (20.8%) had inadequate awareness of rabies.

Conclusions: The study concluded that nearly three-fourth of the adult population  are moderately aware of rabies. Adults are more aware of the preventive measures of rabies and relatively less aware of the management after an animal bite. Thus, this study recommends implementing public health interventions, such as awareness campaigns, to enhance community awareness. Similar studies can be carried out on larger populations to validate the findings.