Avaliação do potencial de risco de raiva humana por agressões caninas em Muzambinho - MG

Abstract

Dogs are transmitters of several zoonoses, and rabies has the highest epidemiological importance for being 100% lethal. Dog bites represented the most frequent notifiable injuries in Muzambinho, MG, in the 2005-2009 period, where many people were submitted to prophylaxis against rabies. This study evaluated the potential risk of rabies and respective injuries in the population. In September 2010, 427 questionnairies were randomly and systematically applied to residents of the 21 urban districts, who were classified according to their socioeconomic and cultural profiles. The survey of indicators pertinent to race, sex, form of acquisition, feeding, mobility, vaccination, sanitary conditions and fertility of the animals facilitated the construction of the epidemiological profile of the canine population in the urban area. The data were submitted to the chi-square test and multiple correspondence analysis in the R version 2.11.1 statistical software. It was found that 73% of the dogs were vaccinated at public health services; 9% at private services; while 18% were not vaccinated. Race and sex proved to be significant factors for the acquisition of dogs; 63% of the animals were received as presents, 11.5% were bought, and 25% adopted; 40.65% were adequately fed, while 59.35% were not properly fed. Regarding mobility, 60.5% of the animals were restricted, and 39.5% semi-restricted. The canine population density decreased with the socioeconomic situation of the owners. Only 20% of the dogs were castrated, and 80% presented no form of fertility control. Vaccination and fertility control proved to be inversely proportional indicators, with similar values in males and females. Sanitary conditions of dogs were better with upper class owners (69.5%), followed by lower class (26.5%), and middle class (5%). It was observed that the high incidence of canine aggression was related with limiting factors of welfare rather than symptoms of canine rabies, and that the full implementation of the actions of the municipal rabies prevention program could lead to a decrease of such accidents, with relevant reflections on the local public health.