Rabies is a severe viral zoonotic disease with significant public health implications, especially in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure like Somalia. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of residents in Mogadishu regarding rabies. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2022 to February 2023 in five districts of the Banadir region, focusing on areas with a higher stray dog population. Data were collected from 384 respondents through a structured questionnaire. The majority of respondents were female (52.1%) and aged 32-38 (31.3%), with a literacy level of education (53.1%). Hamarweyne, Abdiaziiz, and Dharkeynley districts had the highest participation. Although 98.4% had heard of rabies, misconceptions regarding its cause, transmission, and clinical signs were prevalent. Only 60.9% knew vaccination could prevent rabies, and 76.6% recognized its zoonotic transmission. The study revealed an inadequate understanding of the role of stray dogs in rabies transmission, with only 34.9% considering dog population control essential. Furthermore, 68.5% did not believe reducing dogs would decrease rabies. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted educational campaigns in Mogadishu to enhance knowledge and awareness about rabies. Emphasis should be placed on accurate information about rabies' etiology, transmission, clinical presentation, and prevention. Initiatives promoting responsible pet ownership and dog population control should be implemented. Addressing these knowledge gaps and attitudes will empower public health authorities to develop effective rabies prevention and control strategies in Mogadishu, reducing its devastating impact on the population.
| Published in | Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Volume 11, Issue 6) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11 |
| Page(s) | 136-142 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Rabies, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Mogadishu, Somalia
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APA Style
Abdullahi Mohmed, S., Abdulkadir Mohamed, F., Mustapha Mahmoud, I., Mohamed Abdi, F., Barre, A. (2023). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies Among People in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 11(6), 136-142. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11
ACS Style
Abdullahi Mohmed, S.; Abdulkadir Mohamed, F.; Mustapha Mahmoud, I.; Mohamed Abdi, F.; Barre, A. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies Among People in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2023, 11(6), 136-142. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11
AMA Style
Abdullahi Mohmed S, Abdulkadir Mohamed F, Mustapha Mahmoud I, Mohamed Abdi F, Barre A. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies Among People in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Anim Vet Sci. 2023;11(6):136-142. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11
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Download@article{10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11,
author = {Shafii Abdullahi Mohmed and Fahmo Abdulkadir Mohamed and Ismahan Mustapha Mahmoud and Faiza Mohamed Abdi and Abdirahman Barre},
title = {Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies Among People in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study},
journal = {Animal and Veterinary Sciences},
volume = {11},
number = {6},
pages = {136-142},
doi = {10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.avs.20231106.11},
abstract = {Rabies is a severe viral zoonotic disease with significant public health implications, especially in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure like Somalia. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of residents in Mogadishu regarding rabies. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2022 to February 2023 in five districts of the Banadir region, focusing on areas with a higher stray dog population. Data were collected from 384 respondents through a structured questionnaire. The majority of respondents were female (52.1%) and aged 32-38 (31.3%), with a literacy level of education (53.1%). Hamarweyne, Abdiaziiz, and Dharkeynley districts had the highest participation. Although 98.4% had heard of rabies, misconceptions regarding its cause, transmission, and clinical signs were prevalent. Only 60.9% knew vaccination could prevent rabies, and 76.6% recognized its zoonotic transmission. The study revealed an inadequate understanding of the role of stray dogs in rabies transmission, with only 34.9% considering dog population control essential. Furthermore, 68.5% did not believe reducing dogs would decrease rabies. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted educational campaigns in Mogadishu to enhance knowledge and awareness about rabies. Emphasis should be placed on accurate information about rabies' etiology, transmission, clinical presentation, and prevention. Initiatives promoting responsible pet ownership and dog population control should be implemented. Addressing these knowledge gaps and attitudes will empower public health authorities to develop effective rabies prevention and control strategies in Mogadishu, reducing its devastating impact on the population.
},
year = {2023}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies Among People in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Cross-Sectional Study AU - Shafii Abdullahi Mohmed AU - Fahmo Abdulkadir Mohamed AU - Ismahan Mustapha Mahmoud AU - Faiza Mohamed Abdi AU - Abdirahman Barre Y1 - 2023/11/29 PY - 2023 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11 DO - 10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11 T2 - Animal and Veterinary Sciences JF - Animal and Veterinary Sciences JO - Animal and Veterinary Sciences SP - 136 EP - 142 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-5850 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20231106.11 AB - Rabies is a severe viral zoonotic disease with significant public health implications, especially in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure like Somalia. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of residents in Mogadishu regarding rabies. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2022 to February 2023 in five districts of the Banadir region, focusing on areas with a higher stray dog population. Data were collected from 384 respondents through a structured questionnaire. The majority of respondents were female (52.1%) and aged 32-38 (31.3%), with a literacy level of education (53.1%). Hamarweyne, Abdiaziiz, and Dharkeynley districts had the highest participation. Although 98.4% had heard of rabies, misconceptions regarding its cause, transmission, and clinical signs were prevalent. Only 60.9% knew vaccination could prevent rabies, and 76.6% recognized its zoonotic transmission. The study revealed an inadequate understanding of the role of stray dogs in rabies transmission, with only 34.9% considering dog population control essential. Furthermore, 68.5% did not believe reducing dogs would decrease rabies. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted educational campaigns in Mogadishu to enhance knowledge and awareness about rabies. Emphasis should be placed on accurate information about rabies' etiology, transmission, clinical presentation, and prevention. Initiatives promoting responsible pet ownership and dog population control should be implemented. Addressing these knowledge gaps and attitudes will empower public health authorities to develop effective rabies prevention and control strategies in Mogadishu, reducing its devastating impact on the population. VL - 11 IS - 6 ER -
Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Somali National University, Mogadishu, Somalia
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