Awareness and Compliance with Anti-Rabies Vaccine for Cats: A public health challenge in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Rabies is a zoonotic disease of viral origin. It is viral encephalitis which can easily be transmitted from one infected animal to another and from an infected animal through its saliva to man by biting.

Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in 3 major local Government areas of Plateau State of Nigeria namely; Jos North, Jos South and Qua’anpan. Plateau State is located in the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria with over three million human populations (> 3,000,000) good weather and ideal environments. These three local Government areas constitute the major area and land mass of Jos city and Qua’anpan of Plateau State. This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the level of awareness and compliance to anti-rabies vaccination by cat owners in these endemic areas. A total of 360 questionnaires were distributed among three selected local Government areas to those that rear cats after a brief orientation about the study. Quantitative data obtained from the primary were analysed using Graphpad prism 9.1.

Result: The questionnaires filled and recovered from the subjects were 93, 97 and 100 from Jos North, Qua’anpan and Jos South Local Government areas respectively making the total number 290 questionnaires. Only 47(16.2%) out of 290 subjects are aware that cats need to be vaccinated against rabies while 243(83.8%) were not aware (95% CI=2.919 to 28.41, t=5.288, d=2) (P < 0.05). some are aware but they did not complied 14 (4.8%) (CI= -27.46 to 14.79, t=1.290, df = 2, P>0.05). 23(7.9%) vaccinated their cats once and failed to give booster dose (CI =-23.23 to 13.23, t=0.6712, df=6) (P>0.05). Cat management system, confined = 17(5.86%), roaming = 273 (94.14%). (t=2.802, df=6, p<0.05). Causes of death; sickness = 61(21.1%), accident=48(16.6%). Nature of sickness; aggressiveness=5(1.7%), weakness= 17(5.9%), salivation=1(0.3%), paralysis =16(5.5%), emaciated =21(7.2%), others =1(0.3%). Disposal of carcass; consumed =3(1.0%), Buried =25(8.6%), discarded = 81(27.9%).

Conclusion: Awareness and compliance with the anti-rabies vaccine for cats are very low and this is a serious threat to public health.