Publication:

Study of epidemiological profile and treatment seeking behavior in children attending anti rabies vaccination clinic at a tertiary care center

Background Rabies is an acute infectious highly fatal viral disease of the central nervous system leading to encephalomyelitis. It is primarily zoonotic disease of warm blooded animals. It is mainly transmitted by animal bites mainly dogs. In India alone, 20,000 deaths are estimated to occur annually. Rabies is most common in children aged less than 15 years. Till now no study of epidemiological profile and treatment seeking behavior in Children (<15 years) is carried at an anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) clinic, so with this background kept in mind the present study is planned.

Methods The present hospital record based study is carried out at ARV clinic. All animal bite victims in age groups <15 years, coming between 1st January to 31 December 2017 at ARV clinic are recorded in details regarding history, epidemiological profile and ARV management in month of march 2018. The results were analyzed by proportion & percentages.

Results Out of the total patients attending ARV OPD 30.25% of children were of age <15 years. About 93.09% of children were of Cat – III bite and maximum got bite on lower limb. About 86.05% of the children reported late by 24 hour. Out of the total children attending OPD 93.09% patients were advised for ARS of which only 92.88% of patient had taken ARS.

Conclusions Most of children they are in cat-III so there is need to do counselling about taking PEP (ARV and ARS) treatment and treatment seeking behavior are poor in rural children.