Awareness of rabies among MBBS interns of a government medical college of North India: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20220745Keywords:
Immunization, Interns, Rabies, Rabies immunoglobulin, Wound categoryAbstract
Background: Rabies is a major public health issue across the world. In India, however, it is still regarded as a disease with a low public health priority in the medical community. The disease is completely preventable if comprehensive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is started as soon as possible. The majority of deaths are driven by ignorance and a lack of affordable care. It is quintessential for the medical fraternity to have adequate awareness of rabies and especially among the interns. Objectives of the study were to assess the awareness of interns regarding epidemiology, prevention and management of rabies.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among interns of King George's medical university, Lucknow, U. P. Informed consent was taken, and interns were enrolled. A semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess the awareness regarding the epidemiology, immunization of rabies and animal bite management.
Results: Out of the total 160 interns who gave consent, 97% (152) were aware of the transmission mode of the rabies virus, while only a mere 37% (59) knew about the most specific prodromal symptom of rabies. Similarly, although 96% (154) of them knew who required preexposure prophylaxis, only 39% (62) knew the correct preexposure prophylaxis schedule. Regarding the first-aid animal bite treatment, 94% (150) of the interns got the answer right, but just 26% (42) of them knew which animal bite did not require PEP for Rabies in India.
Conclusions: There were significant gaps in knowledge regarding animal bite injuries and immunization among interns.
References
World Health Organization. Rabies vaccines: WHO position paper, Weekly epidemiological record. 2010;(32):309-20.
Sudarshan MK. Assessing Burden of Rabies in India: WHO Sponsored National Multicentric Rabies Survey, 2003. Indian J Community Med. 2005;30(3):100.
Menezes R. Incidence of human rabies. CMJ. 2008;178(5):564-6.
Chowdhury R, Mukherjee A, Naskar S, Lahiri S. A study on knowledge of animal bite management and rabies immunization among interns of a government medical college in Kolkata. Int J Med Public Health. 2013;21;3.
Sarkar A, Sudip B, Chintan B, Aniruddha G, Makwana N, Dipesh P. An assessment of knowledge of prevention and management of rabies in interns and final year students of Shri M. P. Shah Government Medical College, Jamnagar, Gujarat. J Res Med Dental Sci. 2013;1(2):62-6.
Das D, Vohra P, Mane P. Assessment of knowledge regarding rabies and its prevention among the medical students of government medical college, Nalhar, Nuh. Int J Sci res. 2021;48-50.
Mali A, Solanki SL. An assessment of Knowledge of Prevention and Management of Rabies in Second Year MBBS Students of American International Institute of Medical Sciences, Udaipur (Rajasthan). Int J Cur Res Rev. 2018;10(6):4.
Garg A, Kumar R, Ingle GK. Knowledge and practices regarding animal bite management and rabies prophylaxis among doctors in Delhi, India. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2013;25(1):417.
Dodet B, Asian Rabies Expert Bureau. Preventing the incurable: Asian rabies experts advocate rabies control. Vaccine. 2006;24(16):3045-9.
Bhalla S, Mehta JP, Singh A. Knowledge and Practice among General Practitioners of Jamnagar city Regarding Animal Bite. Indian J Community Med. 2005;30(3):94.
Knowledge and practices among the general practitioners of Karachi regarding dog bite management- PubMed. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20201185/. Accessed on 2021 Jul 31.
Monje F, Erume J, Mwiine FN, Kazoora H, Okech SG. Knowledge, attitude and practices about rabies management among human and animal health professionals in Mbale District, Uganda. One Health Outlook. 2020;2:24.
Koruk ST, Koruk I, Kutlu S. Where do we stand in the control of rabies? Knowledge and practices among physicians in a Health District in Turkey. Wilderness Environ Med. 2011;22(2):1515.
Gönen I, Soysal A, Topuzoğlu A, Bakir M. Clinical knowledge and attitudes of Turkish physicians toward rabies caused by animal bites. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2011;64(5):382-90.
National Rabies Control Programme. National Health Portal Of India. Available at: https://www.nhp.gov.in/national-rabies-control-programme_pg. Accessed on 2021 Jul 31.
Hardanahalli RS, Annadani RR, Undi M, Vijayashanakar V, Banerjee R, Mandya RP. Economic costs of rabies post exposure prophylaxis. Indian J Community Health. 2017;29(2):156-61.
