Community Awareness on Rabies Prevention and Control in Bicol, Philippines: Pre- and Post-Project Implementation

Abstract

Rabies is endemic in the Philippines. To support the rabies campaign in the Bicol region at the southeastern part of Luzon, the BAI-OIE Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) Rabies project was implemented in the pilot provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, and Masbate. A community awareness survey was conducted with the residents of these provinces to determine their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) on rabies during the start and end of the project. Qualitative, descriptive research was done with a structured KAP questionnaire. Pet owners in the pilot provinces were chosen as respondents. Results showed that respondents know that they can acquire rabies in animals through the bite of a rabid dog (pre-project implementation (PRI): 19.6%, post-project implementation (POI): 38.0%). Vaccination was the top rabies preventive measure (PRI: 61.8%, POI: 92.8%). Biting incidents were noted in some respondents, and observing the dog and killing it immediately were some of the actions taken by bite victims. If a supposed rabid dog was seen, respondents would either: immediately kill the dog (PRI: 20.3%, POI: 13.7%), report it to authorities (PRI: 26.3%, POI: 63.1%), and capture and observe the dog concerned (PRI: 13.5%, POI: 6.0%). Pet owners increased their KAP about rabies prevention and control as compared to the pre-implementation study. However, certain gaps in their KAP need to be given attention; thus continuous education of pet owners must be done.

Using Surveillance of Animal Bite Patients to Decipher Potential Risks of Rabies Exposure From Domestic Animals and Wildlife in Brazil

“…Identifying and reducing direct contact between wild and domestic animals and humans including awareness campaigns to limit contacts with wildlife (e.g., reduce wildlife feeding) may prevent human rabies exposures ( 23 ). Patients presenting with animal-bite injuries provide a valuable source of surveillance data on rabies viruses transmitted by bites, including potential exposure risks and evidence of circulation among different reservoir hosts ( 24 ).…”

Instilling Good Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among the Indigenous People of Malaysia Concerning Dog Associated Zoonotic Infections

“…The findings of the current study showed an increase in the knowledge of Orang Asli on dog-led zoonotic infections following health education and promotion. Similarly an evaluation of rabies prevention and control project among dog owners in Philippines showed a significant increase in the knowledge of the community concerning rabies [33]. A classroombased lesson on rabies among primary school children in Malawi also showed an increased in the knowledge of the children on rabies and how to be safe around dogs [34].…”

“…The attitude to dog associated infections was good and improved post intervention but further improvement is dependent on the knowledge of the community because lack of basic knowledge in diseases transmission has direct influence on positive attitudes and practices [39]. In general, studies conducted in Philippines [33], China [23], Nigeria [40], Canada [39] and Australia [13] showed good attitudes towards dog associated infections. In Nigeria people felt that children should not play with unknown dogs and that they would wash wound after a dog bite with soap and water [35,40].…”

School-based Information and Education Campaign (IEC) Program and Knowledge Gain of Student Participants on Rabies in a Private School in Davao City, Philippines

“…23 Jan 2020). Acquired knowledge, when not emphasized or reiterated during class discussions (Barroga et al 2018), tends to diminish and this poses a challenge to younger students when it comes to applications of their learnings from IEC sessions. When students can recall information and then respond appropriately to circumstances (e.g.…”