A Three-Year Epidemiological Study of Animal Bites and Rabies in Hamedan Province of Iran

Background: Rabies is an almost invariably fatal disease that is associated with animal bites. Hence, gathering data about cases of animal bites can help in clarifying the relative status of the disease. Objectives: This study was conducted to provide an epidemiological overview on animal bites and rabies occurred in Hamedan province, Iran, during 2011 - 2013. Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in Hamedan province, Iran. The information was retrieved from the vice-chancellery for health (Hamedan University of Medical Sciences) and veterinary directorate general of Hamedan province. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The Chi-square test was used to determine statistically significant differences with P values less than 0.05. Results: There was just one report of rabies death during the mentioned period. The total number of reported animal bites was 14327 with the incidence of 2.69 cases/1000 individuals, which included 3287 (22.9%) women and 11040 (77.1%) men. Of these cases, 9868 (68.9%) resided in rural areas, while 4459 (31.3%) were urban residents. Most animal bites, 3516 (24.54%) cases, occurred in the 20 - 29 year-old age group. The lower limbs injuries were significantly higher than other sites with 7462 (52.08%) records. In addition, the majority of people were bitten by dogs (11040 cases, 77%). Conclusions: This study indicated that the incidence of animal bites was increased during 2011 - 2013 in Hamedan province. Therefore, it seems necessary to take appropriate educational programs along with both pre-exposure immunization and postexposure prophylaxis to control this infection in the region.