Author(s)

Boubacar Gueye^1*, Martial Coly Bop¹, Ndéye Marième Diagne², Khadija Barro³, Cheikh Tacko Diop¹, Alioune Badara Tall¹, Papa Gallo Sow¹, Mountaga Dia¹, Abdoul Aziz Ndiaye¹, Ousseynou Ka¹

¹Training and Research Unit for Health and Sustainable Development, Alioune Diop University of Bambeye, Bambeye, Senegal.
²Dakar Principal Hospital, Dakar, Senegal.
³Health and Development Institute, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal.

Introduction: Rabies is a serious disease, as it is always fatal, but it can be prevented by sero-vaccination. It is a neglected tropical disease endemic in Asia and Africa. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding rabies and to determine the factors associated with them among people aged 18 and over in the commune of Niakhène. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical survey of subjects aged 18 and over living in the commune of Niakhène. A sample of 300 individuals was drawn from a two-stage cluster survey stratified by age and sex. Bivariate analysis was performed using association tests. Results: The mean age of respondents was 35.3 ± 16.9 years. It was noted that 67% (201) of respondents had a good knowledge of rabies. The results showed that 7.3% (22) of respondents owned a dog. Of the 278 people who did not own a dog, 78.4% (218) said they would have vaccinated their dog if they had had one. It should be noted that 83.7% (251) of respondents said they would go to a health facility if an animal bit them. None of the dog owners had vaccinated their dogs against rabies. Of the 41 people exposed to rabies, 39% went to a health facility. The age and education of the respondents had statistically significant associations with knowledge of rabies. Respondents’ age and education were statistically significantly related to whether they had vaccinated a domestic dog. The age, education and economic well-being quintile of respondents’ households had statistically significant associations with the use of a health facility in the event of being bitten or scratched by an animal vector. The education of respondents who had been bitten by an animal vector was statistically significantly associated with the use of a health facility. Conclusion: It would be imperative for human and animal health authorities to collaborate in a “One Health” approach in order to increase knowledge and promote the adoption of good practices in rabies prevention.

Rabies, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Associated Factors, Senegal

Gueye, B. , Bop, M. , Diagne, N. , Barro, K. , Diop, C. , Tall, A. , Sow, P. , Dia, M. , Ndiaye, A. and Ka, O. (2024) Study of Factors Associated with Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Rabies in the Commune of Niakhéne in Senegal, in 2022. Open Journal of Epidemiology, 14, 180-197. doi: 10.4236/ojepi.2024.141013.