Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards dog-bite related rabies in para-medical staff at rural primary health centres in Baramati, western India

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 16;13(11):e0207025. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207025. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The lack of awareness regarding rabies amongst rural primary care health staff and their adverse practices towards the management of dog-bite wounds is a major contributor to the high incidence of rabies infection and subsequent human mortality in India. A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey was carried out involving 54 nursing and non-nursing staff working in 18 rural Primary Health centres and sub-centres around Baramati town of Pune district in Western India. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to assess factors that influenced knowledge of rabies and practices towards management of dog-bite related wounds. The more experienced and better-educated workers were found to have a good awareness of rabies (OR 3.4, 95%CI 1.0-12.1) and good practices towards dog-bite wound management (OR 5.6, 95%CI 1.2-27.0). Surprisingly, non-nursing staff were significantly more knowledgeable about rabies (OR 3.5, 95%CI 1.0-12.3), but their practices towards dog-bite wound management were inadequate (OR 0.18, 95%CI 0.04-0.8) compared to the nursing staff. It is recommended that a mandatory training module for primary care health staff be developed and implemented to improve their knowledge regarding rabies and management of dog-bite wounds to reduce the incidence of human rabies in rural India.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bites and Stings*
  • Dogs
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • India
  • Logistic Models
  • Medical Staff / psychology*
  • Odds Ratio
  • Primary Health Care
  • Rabies / etiology
  • Rabies / prevention & control*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires