- Epidemiological Features of Human Cases After Bites/Scratches From Rabies-suspected Animals in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Selma Uzunović, Muhamed Skomorac, Fatima Bašić, Ivona Mijač-Musić
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J Prev Med Public Health. 2019;52(3):170-178. Published online April 16, 2019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.18.252
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- Objectives
To determine the epidemiological features of patients and animals after bites/scratches from rabies-suspected animals in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Methods
Data from all patients (and the causative animals) admitted to the Antirabies Service of the Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica in the 2009-2017 period were analyzed, including age, sex, anatomical site of the bite/scratch, animal type (stray/owned/wildlife), veterinary observations of the animal, and whether antirabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was indicated and/or administered.
Results
In total, 1716 patients were admitted. Bites/scratches were most frequently recorded during April and May (n=181, 10.5% and n=163, 9.5%, respectively). The persons admitted were mostly from the Zenica municipality (n=1278, 74.5%; incidence: 11.55/ 1000), which is 66.6% urbanized. Males were more frequently represented (n=1089, 63.6%). The patients were mostly 50-64 and 25-49 years of age (n=425, 24.7% and n=390, 22.7%, respectively). Dog bites were the most common cause (n=1634, 95.1%, of which n=1258, 77.0% were caused by stray dogs). PEP was indicated for 997 (58.1%) patients. Only 340 (19.9%) animals underwent veterinary observations (3.1% of stray and 76.1% of owned animals). The largest number of injuries were presented at lower extremities, 1044 (60.8%) cases.
Conclusions
Zenica-Doboj Canton is a rabies-free region. Due to the high rate of stray animals not undergoing veterinary observations, the non-existence of a unique dog registry, and the consequent lack of information about stray animals in terms of number, vaccination, neutering, and euthanasia, there is an urgent need for improving the prevention and control of rabies within the One Health framework.
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Summary
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Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by  - Dog bites as a zoonotic risk in Ecuador: Need for the implementation of a One Health approach
G. Joselyn Calderón, Silvia Poveda, Ariana León Sosa, Naomi Mora, Manel López Bejar, Solón Alberto Orlando, Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain
One Health.2023; 16: 100544. CrossRef - Epidemiology of Dog Bite Incidents in Chile: Factors Related to the Patterns of Human-Dog Relationship
Carmen Luz Barrios, Carlos Bustos-López, Carlos Pavletic, Alonso Parra, Macarena Vidal, Jonathan Bowen, Jaume Fatjó
Animals.2021; 11(1): 96. CrossRef
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