title: Incidence of dog bite injuries and clinical rabies in a tertiary health care institution: a 10-year retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is widely recognized that rabies is grossly under-reported even though it is a notifiable disease and a lack of accurate figures has rendered rabies a low public health and veterinary priority. This study aimed at determining the incidence of dog bite injuries and clinical rabies in a tertiary health care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case records of patients managed at the accident and emergency unit of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, between June 2000 and May 2010 with diagnosis of dog bite and rabies were retrieved. Relevant clinical data were extracted using a structured questionnaire designed for the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-one persons out of 24,683 consultations in the accident and emergency unit presented with dog bite injuries with two clinical cases of human rabies. Mean age of victims of dog bite injuries was 21.1 ± 14.3 years and the majority (55.6%) were children. Males were more affected than females with a male:female ratio of 4.8:1, lower limb/buttock injuries were significantly higher in children than adults, but the adults sustained significantly more severe (type III) injury. The majority of dog bite injuries were washed with soap and irrigated with water or saline and 87.7% of the victim of dog bite received postexposure anti-rabies vaccine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital incidence of dog bite injuries was low, but the use of postexposure prophylaxis was high.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. abbatta1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abubakar
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bakari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D056990:Post-Exposure Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011819:Rabies Vaccines