Assessment of Animal Bites in Selected Veterinary Establishments in Plateau State: A Three Year Review

Abstract

Background: Animal bites are common and sometimes result in the transmission of preventable diseases with high morbidity and fatality. This study sought to determine the pattern of animal bites reported in selected veterinary establishments in Plateau State and the vaccination status of the animals involved.
Methods: This was a 3 year retrospective study of vertebrate animal bites of humans reported to 2 public veterinary centres in Jos. Data were extracted from the records of the centres and analysed using SPSS version 21.0. 
Results:  There were 898 bites reported during the period, about one third (33.3%) of which were in children 1-10 years old. Over half of the victims (52.6%) were males and most (72.2%) resided in urban areas. Almost all the bites (97.9%) were from dogs, with local dogs accounting for 67.7% of dog bites.  The lower limbs were the commonest site of bites and 80% of bites were unprovoked. Though 80.2% of animals responsible for the bites had identifiable owners, 56.7% had no record of rabies vaccination. Among the animals with vaccination records, 78.9% had either never been vaccinated or their vaccinations had expired. Only 21.1% were fully vaccinated. Median time from bite to presentation at the veterinary centres was 1 day (IQR 0.5-2.0 days)
Conclusion: Bite injuries from unvaccinated dogs remain a major public health problem in Plateau State. Urgent efforts should be made to enlighten dog owners and reduce the incidence of bites