Three Things to Know
The study revealed that Sri Lankans have a high level of understanding about rabies, with most participants recognizing that dogs are the primary reservoir of the disease and acknowledging its fatal nature.
Although most participants are aware of essential actions like visiting a hospital after a dog bite, they are less inclined to take further steps, such as reporting the case to authorities and submitting the rabid animal’s head for examination.
Similarly, pet owners expose their animals to rabies through poor pet management practices, such as not vaccinating all their pets and allowing them to roam freely.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners:
This study reveals a mixed bag in Sri Lanka’s rabies awareness efforts. While public understanding of rabies and the need for post-exposure treatment is evident, reporting incidents to authorities remains a significant hurdle. This reluctance likely stems from the perceived inconvenience of the reporting process. Local dog welfare organizations, especially those with veterinary expertise, can play a crucial role by facilitating easier reporting mechanisms, such as through WhatsApp.
Furthermore, despite acknowledging the rabies threat, many individuals fail to implement necessary preventive measures for their pets. Vaccination rates are not high enough, and dogs are often allowed to roam freely. This suggests a disconnect between the perceived risk of rabies and its implications for pet ownership. Dog welfare organizations can effectively address this by explicitly highlighting the link between pet owner behavior and the risk of rabies in their communication campaigns.
The Full Picture
Rabies remains a significant public health issue in Sri Lanka, a country that has been battling the disease for decades. A national program for the control and eradication of human and animal rabies was initiated in the mid-1970s. Despite these efforts, rabies continues to pose a threat, particularly in rural areas where awareness and access to medical facilities are limited. The disease, primarily transmitted through dog bites, is almost invariably fatal once clinical symptoms appear. It is, therefore, important to measure the public’s understanding with respect to rabies.
Study Methods
This study, titled “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Survey of Rabies in a Community in Sri Lanka,” was conducted in the Kandy District, which is 116 kilometers from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Researchers recruited 1,570 respondents from selected households for this cross-sectional study. Participants were interviewed face-to-face using structured and pre-tested questionnaires. Of the respondents, 12% were from urban areas and 88% from rural areas.
Study Results
The study revealed a high level of awareness about rabies among the respondents. Approximately 90% of the participants knew that dogs are the primary reservoir of rabies. Additionally, 79% of the respondents were aware that rabies is a fatal disease, and 88% understood that rabies can be prevented through vaccination. A significant portion of the sample population knew that rabies vaccines are available from government-authorized institutions. However, there was a notable difference in awareness between urban and rural respondents, with rural participants more likely to recognize the fatal nature of rabies.
The study indicated that the majority of the respondents exhibited proactive attitudes towards rabies prevention and treatment. About 96% of the participants stated that they would seek medical treatment from a doctor or hospital if bitten by a dog. However, a much smaller share (56%) would inform the authorities, and even fewer were aware that the head of the suspected animal must be submitted to a medical research institute for confirmation.
Pet Owner Attitudes & Behaviours
Despite understanding how deadly rabies can be, pet owners do not always apply this knowledge to managing their pets. Among pet owners, 76% reported that their pets were vaccinated against rabies, but only 48.1% could provide proof of vaccination. Additionally, less than half of the pet dogs were kept in cages or inside the house. This issue is particularly pronounced in rural areas, where more than one-third of the dogs (34.9%) roam freely, increasing their risk of exposure to rabies.
Lastly, the study highlighted several key differences between pet owners and non-pet owners. Pet owners, in general, were more knowledgeable about rabies vaccines and more supportive of rabies control measures, such as euthanizing rabid animals and participating in animal birth control (ABC) programs. They were also more willing to register their pets and less annoyed by stray dogs compared to non-pet owners.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Street Dogs > Rabies > Rabies Knowledge, Attitude & Practices (KAP)
Year of Publication:
2007
External Link:
Matibag, G.C., Kamigaki, T., Kumarasiri, P.V.R. et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey of rabies in a community in Sri Lanka. Environ Health Prev Med 12, 84–89 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02898154