Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding rabies and its control among dog owners in Kigali city, Rwanda

Background Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that can occur in all warm-blooded mammals, including man [1]. Vaccinating dogs can protect people from contracting rabies [2]. Annual deaths due to rabies was estimated to 61000 worldwide [1], and Africa represented 35.2% of the deaths [3]. In Rwanda, rabies is a public health threat to the public [4], but the country does not have information on the disease [5]. Methodology The present study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of rabies and its control among dog owners in Kigali city, Rwanda. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire among 137 dog owners randomly selected within each of the selected 9 study sites. A series of chi-square tests of association and binary logistic regression were used to determine the important factors associated with the response variables. Results The results showed that 99.5% of respondents could mention at least a host susceptible to rabies. Only 22.4 % and 21.3 % knew about canine and human rabies, respectively. Nearly 73.6% knew that human rabies can be transmitted through dog-bites and 99% could identify at least a clinical sign of canine rabies. Nealy 81.8% thought that regularly vaccinating dogs could prevent people from contracting dog-transmitted rabies. Only 43.1% and 26.3% were aware that clinical human and canine rabies are always deadly, respectively. Respondents who would observe a dog for some time, once it bites a man or an animal, represented 69%. Only 20.4% were familiar with cleaning dog-bites wounds with water and soap, before attending health care facilities. Few respondents owning dogs (20.6%) knew that puppies could receive rabies vaccination before the age of three months. Of respondents who owned vaccinated dogs, 78% were happy about the cost of rabies vaccination of dogs (Rwandan Francs 0-30,000). Nearly 57.9% had their dogs vaccinated at home by veterinarians. Eighty-two (82%) percent of respondents received rabies information from neighbours, the media and public meetings. Logistic regression analyses indicated that none of respondents’sex, education level, and duration of dog ownership was statistically associated with their knowledge of rabies. The respondents who had kept dogs for 5-10 years were less likely to have as sufficient knowledge as those who had kept dogs for more than ten years (AOR=0.96). Male respondents were more likely to adopt a positive attitude (AOR=1.47) and have appropriate practice (A0R=1.40) towards rabies. The respondents who had completed at least primary education, were more likely to have appropriate practice of rabies (AOR=1.41). Conclusions This study identified gaps in the dog owners’ rabies knowledge of transmission, treatment and control. In addition, none of respondents’sex, educational level, and dog ownership length was statistically associated with their rabies knowledge. Overall, this study indicated that all categories of dog owners in Kigali city did not have good levels of rabies knowledge. Rabies interventions including awareness component in the studied population should be homogeneously improved.