Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding animal Bites and Rabies; a Multi-Center Study

Introduction: Animal bites and rabies are perceived and managed differently from bites and stings related to envenoms snakes, scorpions and spiders. This study aimed at evaluating knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of local population regarding animal bites and rabies, as a point of comparison for future studies on venomous animals.  Methods: This cross-sectional KAP study included 1093 subjects from four rural areas of Mashhad. Data gathered through a validated and reliable structured questionnaire. Results: In total, 1093 respondents included in the study consist of 53% male and 42% adults of 20 to 9 years old. Assessing knowledge; 70% of cases were presented with weak and moderate knowledge related to clinical manifestations, but just the opposite, majority of the respondents (83%) were categorised as good or excellent in their knowledge of prevention. Assessing attitudes; almost all (91%) of respondents categorised as good or attitude. Assessing practices; 33% of cases revealed that there are no good practices with regard to animal bites and rabies. Respondent’s knowledge of prevention was significantly correlated with age (P = 0.01) and educational level (P = 0.002). Both attitudes and practices had significant relations with age. Respondents aged 20- 39 years showed better practices than other age groups (P < 0.01). Conclusion: this study found that while information on prevention is acceptable, clinical findings of bites and rabies are relatively unknown. Preventive measure should include clinical manifestations as well as currently implemented focus on prevention, vaccination and treatment.