A retrospective evaluation of bites at risk of rabies transmission across 7 years: The need to improve surveillance and reporting systems for rabies elimination

The vast majority of rabies deaths occur in developing countries and rural areas. Due to the absence of surveillance and the lack of reliable information, many endemic countries are not able to assess their rabies burden and implement appropriate solutions. This study reports the incidence of animal bites considered at risk of rabies transmission, along with rates and determinants of the adherence to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) between 2008 and 2014 in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. A retrospective analysis of rabid animal bites considered at risk of rabies transmission at Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital (DRRH) during 2008–2014 was conducted. Data were collected from the registers of patients presenting to the hospital because of a potential rabies exposure. The patients were assessed by a trained health worker and each bite was considered as “at risk of rabies” based on the victim’s description of the event. Overall, 10,771 patients coming from Dodoma Region attended DRRH because of a bite from a suspected rabid animal, giving a mean incidence of 74 bites at risk of rabies transmission per 100,000 persons per year. Overall, only 46.0% of people exposed received a complete course of PEP and 61.6% attended the clinic within 48 hours after the bite. Multivariate analysis shows that people age >15 years, residence in rural areas and occurrence during the rainy season were independently associated to delayed access to care. Male gender, age below 15 years. and bites occurring during the dry season were associated with completion of PEP. In this area with a high rate of at-risk bites, several factors—mainly related to health care access and to the affordability and delivery of rabies vaccines—still need to be addressed in order to reduce gender and social inequalities in rabies prevention and control. Further efforts are required to establish an efficient rabies surveillance system in Dodoma Region.