RABIES KNOWLEDGE AND PRE-EXPOSURE VACCINATION STATUS OF CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
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Date
2016
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Nigeria Veterinary Research Institute
Abstract
Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease of all warm-blooded animals including humans and it is characterized by fatal encephalomyelitis. It is endemic in Nigeria where dogs are the most common source of infection to humans. Clinical students of Veterinary Medicine in Nigerian Universities are thought to be at risk of rabies since they are exposed to dogs with unknown rabies neutralizing antibody titres. This study was therefore conducted to assess the knowledge of these students about
rabies and their pre-exposure vaccination status. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to 241 clinical (DVM IV and V) students in six Faculties of Veterinary Medicine in Nigeria. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (logistic regression) with the Stata 12.0 package and level of significance was set at p<0.05.Results indicate that 91.3% of the clinical students were aware of rabies, its reservoirs, transmission routes and clinical signs in infected animals. However, 46 (19.1%) students did not know the correct steps to be taken if they were bitten by a rabid dog. Also, 199 (82.6%) of the students had never been vaccinated against rabies while one of those vaccinated received post-exposure prophylaxis after been bitten by a suspected rabid dog. Unvaccinated clinical students were 4.5 times more likely to have examined dogs/cats with no current (up-to-date) anti-rabies vaccination or with unknown vaccination history than their vaccinated counterparts (OR=4.493; 95% CI=1.68-12.02). We conclude that a large proportion of clinical students in Nigerian veterinary medical schools are at risk of rabies as they did not receive pre-exposure vaccination despite the obvious dangers they are exposed to through the handling of susceptible animals. The high cost and scarcity of rabies vaccines were identified as major hindrances to vaccination. Continuous rabies awareness education for clinical Veterinary Medicine students, provision of free or subsidized human rabies vaccines and strict adherence to clinical safety code are recommended.
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Keywords
Rabies, Vaccination, Clinical Veterinary Medicine students, Nigeria