title: Community survey of rabies knowledge and exposure to bats in homes - Sumter County, South Carolina, USA.
abstract: Subsequent to a human rabies death in Sumter County, South Carolina, we assessed the frequency of exposures to bats in homes and citizens' rabies knowledge. A self-administered survey was mailed to 6033 randomly selected Sumter County addresses. The survey inquired about household exposures to bats and respondents' rabies knowledge. Surveys were returned by mail for descriptive analysis. Of 597 respondents, 3.5% (21/597) reported having bats living in (2.8% or 17/597) or entering their homes (2.5% or 15/597) during 2010-2012. Respondents generally understood that mammals transmit rabies virus through bites, but were less aware of the severity of rabies illness and modern post-exposure vaccine administration. Respondents were unsure about how to exclude bats from homes and ranked highly both healthcare and non-healthcare entities as preferred resources for obtaining assistance with bat-related concerns. We found potential for human exposures to bats in Sumter County households and gaps in citizen knowledge of rabies and bat exclusion. Public health officials should engage non-healthcare partners in assistance disseminating rabies educational materials and for providing appropriate referral for persons potentially exposed to bats.
authors.affiliation: Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA; Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lankau
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Blanton
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Tack
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001733:Bites and Stings; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000502:physiology*; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Bats; prevention; rabies; survey; zoonotic disease