Veterinary students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding rabies transmission, prevention, and control in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Since rabies is one of the fatal diseases in many developing countries including Bangladesh, the study was performed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of rabies among the veterinary students in Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: A total of 310 veterinary undergraduates participated in this study. A pre-tested questionnaire made of a total of 18 items was used to assess the KAP of the students through a physical interview. IBM SPSS software was used to code and analyze the obtained data. The frequencies of the variables were presented in percent. The associations and the degree of relationships between multiple variables were examined using chi-square and correlation tests with symmetric measures and co-variances. Results: Only 22.6% of the 310 veterinary students had pets in their homes and halls, and 13.9% of them vaccinated their animals against rabies. However, nearly 97% did not vaccinate themselves. About 48% of the students never attended any seminar/program on rabies. The chi-square statistic revealed the students' KAP level was influenced by their attendance at conferences or seminars (52.3%) and level of class. Another noteworthy finding was that the students who own pets were cognizant of the importance of vaccinating their pets to prevent rabies infection [χ2 (2, N=310) = 310.00, p<0.001]. Gender is found to be significantly associated and correlated with positive attitudes regarding the knowledge of the wide host range of rabies (p<0.007, R=0.154), application of antiseptics (p<0.001, R=0.195) for reducing the load of the pathogen, and coming to the contacts of the stray animals of the universities. Conclusion: More seminars and discussions ought to be held by universities to enhance veterinary learners’ KAP regarding rabies prevention and control in Bangladesh.