An epidemiological study of 177 cases of human rabies.
Of the 177 rabies patients admitted to various hospitals in Amritsar city, 80.8% were males and 31.1% were children under the age of 15 years. Incidence was found to be gradually increasing in urban areas, although 68.2% were still found in rural areas. History of second or third degree bites existed in all the cases. Dogs were the source of exposure in 97.3% of cases and they were all suspected of having rabies. 49.1% of cases had bites on the lower extremities and 70.8% were on uncovered parts of the body. The incubation period was observed to be between 30 and 120 days in 61.8% of cases; 90.0% of the patients developed the disease within six months of exposure. Short incubation periods were observed in a majority of the patients bitten on more than one part of the body, head, neck and face or bitten on uncovered parts. Hydrophobia and death occurred in 100% of cases and 93.4% of patients died within five days. Post-exposure injections were reported in 10.2% of cases and these showed no definite incubation period pattern.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011818:Rabies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012737:Sex Factors
D011819:Rabies Vaccines