Surveillance to Aggressions by Rabies-Susceptible Animals, a Preventable Injury Caused by External Causes in Casanare (Colombia) 2012-2016

Abstract

<p>Surveillance, prevention and control of the rabies are a priority in public health, especially when it is transmitted by dogs (variant 1) and by wild animals. This research intended to describe the epidemiological behavior of these events during 2012-2016 in the Casanare Province (Colombia). It is a retrospective descriptive study based on the cases reported to the National Surveillance System for Public Health Sivigila. The study variables are: a) socio-demographics; b) aggression/contact; c) exposure; d) immunization; and e) treatment. Application of descriptive statistics and calculation of surveillance indicators: Data were analyzed using the statistical software Epi-Info 7.2.2.2TM. The 98.5% (6036/6131) of the cases in Casanare were distributed as follows: 2012 (1229; 20.4%), 2013 (1180;19.5%), 2014 (1227; 20.3%); 2015 (1153;19.1%), 2016 (1247; 20.7%). Out of them 72.5% were in the urban area; 55.4% were male subjects; average age was 24.3 (± 20.7) being the lowest age 0.01 and the highest 97 years and 40.7% were in the 5-19-year range; 37.5% were students, 13.3% housewives, 5.4% minors, and 19.4% had reported occupation (to wit, 29.8% (349/1172) farmers; 1.5% hospital patients; all of them alive). The 80.6% (721/894) with mild exposure were appropriately treated, 4.3% (37/894) were administered anti-rabies serum. The 91.1% (653/717) with serious exposure were appropriately treated. The 26.7% (1611/6036) of the cases were exposed to the rabies virus. Incidence per each 100,000 inhabitants exposed to the rabies was as follows: 2012-2016, 344.8 cases; hospitalization rate 11.5/100,000. It was found a non-compliance with the appropriate treatment indicator, i.e., the cases rated as mild exposure required administering only five doses of rabies vaccine (full vaccine scheme), and the cases rated as serious exposure required administering the full vaccine scheme plus the anti-rabies serum. It is recommended to keep/maintain the event surveillance activities as well as the efforts to prevent the human rabies transmission</p>