Community Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Rabies and Retrospective Study on the Disease in Boloso Sore District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Rabies is one of the oldest and most feared human diseases, recognized since ancient times. It is a fatal viral zoonosis that leads to encephalitis in all warm-blooded animals and humans but can be prevented through vaccination and community awareness. The aim was to assess the community's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding rabies, alongside a retrospective Investigation of the disease A cross-sectional questionnaire survey and retrospective studies were conducted from February to June 2024, in the Boloso Sore district of the Wolaita Zone in Southern Ethiopia. A Simple random sampling procedure was employed 384 participants were recruited., and data was collected through face-to-face interviews, while five years of retrospective data were extracted from case books of individuals visiting Dubo St. Mary Hospital and Areka Health Center. The results indicated that [78.39%] of participants had some knowledge about rabies, with more than half demonstrating a good understanding of KAP related to the disease. Despite this, gaps in knowledge were evident, particularly concerning clinical signs of rabies, modes of transmission