Prevalence and circumstances of dog bites in Poland – a longitudinal study

Abstract

Most animal bites in humans are caused by domestic dogs, making dog bite-related injuries a serious public health and safety concern globally. However, till date there is no comprehensive research regarding the occurrence of dog bites, and incidence of exposure to rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Poland. Thus, the main goal of the study was to examine incidents of dog bites in humans and the potential risk of rabies in Poland between 1994-2018. Our results showed that the mean annual dog bite incidence rate in Poland was 13 people per 100000 inhabitants, with ~5000 people vaccinated annually post exposure. Children were more likely to be bitten than adults, and males were more likely than females. People were more likely to be bitten by mongrels followed by German Shepherds. However, most of the bite incidents included dogs that were free-ranging or stray, highlighting the difficulty in regulating the vaccination status of the dog and consequently the likelihood of people meeting a rabid animal. Therefore, we recommend increasing stray dog captureefforts to decrease the incidence of dog bites and potential exposure to rabies. Furthermore, official reporting of all cases of dog bites by associated stakeholders involved in data collection would be effective.