Dog bites among teenagers in Ogun state, Nigeria

Abstract EN

A cross sectional study was conducted to investigate dog bites incidences among teenagers in the age group 13-19 years attending secondary schools in Ogun State.

A semi structured questionnaire was administered to one thousand one hundred and seventy eight (1178) students to elicit information on factors such as age, sex, ownership of family dog, educational status of parents, circumstance of bite, types of dogs associated with previous dog bites and rabies and dog bites prevention knowledge.

Two hundred and thirteen (18%) of the teenagers reported history of previous dog bite.

Being a male, ownership of dog and having parent without at least secondary school education were statistically significant risk factors (p<0.001,<0.001 and 0.003 respectively).

Majority of the attack occurred around the home of the victims 131(61.5%) and by known dogs 119 (55.9%) mostly males 113 (53.1%).

In 80% of the cases, biting incidence was due to dog provocation with lower limbs being the body part most frequently affected 80 (37.6%).

Out of the 213 victims bitten by dogs, only 80 (37.6%) were taken to the hospital to receive medical care.

Rabies and dog bites prevention knowledge was inadequate.

Most of incidences of dog bite were due to dearth of information and knowledge on proper human-dog interaction.

Educational campaign targeting teenagers/children should be carried out to raise the level of awareness of dog bite, proper wound management, dog population control and appropriate human-dog interaction to reduce dog bite incidence as well as contributing to the control /eradication of rabies from rabies endemic countries.