Rabies and rabies postexposure prophylaxis in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County from 1986 to 2021
Autori:
Morana Tomljenović1, Danijela Lakošeljac, Sandra Dominik
Sažetak
Summary
Aim: To present the characteristics of rabies preventive measures at the Antirabies Clinic at the Epidemiological Department of the Teaching Institute for Public Health Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, in the period from 1986 to 2021. Respondents and methods: In this study, data from anti-rabies surveys included in the annual reports submitted to the Ministry of Health Rabies Reference Center were used. Persons who received antirabies protection (immunoprophylaxis – vaccination against rabies with or without human rabies immunoglobulin) were mostly residents of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, dominantly from the city of Rijeka and its surroundings. Results: In the period from 1986 to 2021, a decreasing trend in the number of examined persons at
the Antirabies Clinic was determined (y=–6.9+304, R2=0.78; p<0.05), from 263 to 50 persons. During the study period the number of people who received protection against rabies increased (y=0.95+19, R2=0.24; p<0.05).In this period 7678 persons were examined, out of which 1318 received immunoprophylaxis(17.2%). A total of 42.3% of females(558/1318) and 57.7% of males (760/1318) were immunized. Most people were vaccinated because of scratches, contacts from unknown, dead, stray, killed or wild animals (N=1005) (group C), or because of scratches and contacts with an animal tested positive for rabies (N=155) (group A). People were most often treated with antirabies treatment due to scratches or contact with a dog (752/1318; 57.1%). In 2011, the last person to receive antirabies treatment due to the contact with an animal tested positive for rabies was recorded. Conclusion: In 35 years of operation of the Antirabies Clinic in Rijeka, no rabies cases have been recorded in humans, which can be attributed to effective antirabies protection measures. The multidisciplinary approac.