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Childhood Rabies: A 10 Year Review of Management and Outcome in a Tertiary Centre
Abstract
Background: Rabies is still a cause of death among children in our environment. We undertook a 10-year retrospective review to evaluate the aetiology and outcome of management of childhood rabies in our setting.
Methodology: This was a 10-year retrospective study of rabies cases managed in the Paediatrics Unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos. Nigeria.
Results: There were 7,178 admissions to the Paediatric Medical wards within the period of study, 7 were due to rabies following dog bites. The duration between the bite and development of rabies ranged between two weeks and nine weeks. All the 7 children died of rabies, despite the claim that some of the dogs were vaccinated.
Conclusion: Rabies following dog bite is a frequent occurrence with dismal outcome in our setting. Efforts towards vaccination of dogs against rabies should be encouraged, while stray dogs should be curtailed as a sure way of preventing avoidable childhood deaths due to rabies.
Methodology: This was a 10-year retrospective study of rabies cases managed in the Paediatrics Unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos. Nigeria.
Results: There were 7,178 admissions to the Paediatric Medical wards within the period of study, 7 were due to rabies following dog bites. The duration between the bite and development of rabies ranged between two weeks and nine weeks. All the 7 children died of rabies, despite the claim that some of the dogs were vaccinated.
Conclusion: Rabies following dog bite is a frequent occurrence with dismal outcome in our setting. Efforts towards vaccination of dogs against rabies should be encouraged, while stray dogs should be curtailed as a sure way of preventing avoidable childhood deaths due to rabies.
