Epidemiological Profile of Pet Bites and Rabies Cases from 2005-2015: Case of the City of Lubumbashi in the DRC ()
Author(s)
Nathalie Nseya1,
André Ngombe Kaseba2,
Charles Muhadila3,
Jean Claude Mbang3,
Claude Yav3,
Ghislain Kikunda4,
Augustin Mutombo Mulangu4,
Philippe Mulenga Cilundika4,
Oscar Luboya Numbi2,4,
Eric Mukomena Sompwe2,4
Affiliation(s)
1Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention, Vaccinogenic Office of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
3Higher Institute of Agronomic and Veterinary Studies of Sandoa, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
4Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Rabies, a neglected disease, could be grossly underreported in the
DRC; in the absence of post-exposure prophylaxis, the WHO estimates that this
disease would cause 327,000 deaths per year in Africa and Asia. The
objective of this study is to determine the epidemiological profile of this
zoonosis in order to encourage decision-makers to develop national strategies
for its elimination. Materials and Methods: We conducted a
cross-sectional descriptive study. Data collection was done retrospectively and
in total6 420 victims of bites received during the period between January 2005 and
December 2015 at the anti-rabies center in Lubumbashi were included in this
work. Excel 13 software and Epi info 3.3.4 were used for data analysis and interpretation. Results: People over the age of 15 are the main victims of canine bites
(62.1%), more than half of the victims are male (55.9%); dogs represent the
majority of biting animals (96.4%) of which around 3/4 are unvaccinated (71.37%). Two municipalities are more affected:
Lubumbashi (prevalence 83.35/100,000 and Kampemba
(Prevalence 51.74/100,000). LBite peaks were observed from July to October (p = 0.01). For the
34 people seen with clinical signs of rabies encephalitis (confirmed case of
rabies), the case fatality rate was 100%. Conclusion: Rabies is a major
problem in Lubumbashi but its extent is different depending on the
municipality. The dog is the main biting animal and the vaccination coverage of
dogs remains very low. Access to rabies vaccine for bite victims is difficult.
Its elimination remains possible through the implementation of an extensive
canine vaccination program, the awareness of owners and the large-scale
provision of post-exposure prophylaxis.
Share and Cite:
Nseya, N. , Kaseba, A. , Muhadila, C. , Mbang, J. , Yav, C. , Kikunda, G. , Mulangu, A. , Cilundika, P. , Numbi, O. and Sompwe, E. (2022) Epidemiological Profile of Pet Bites and Rabies Cases from 2005-2015: Case of the City of Lubumbashi in the DRC.
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
12, 19-26. doi:
10.4236/ojvm.2022.123003.
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