Dr. Aparna Padhye GSVM Medical College Kanpur

Background Rabies is an acute highly fatal disease affecting the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.

It is a preventable viral disease of mammals, caused by Lyssavirus, most often transmitted through the bite of rabid animals such as dogs, cats and jackals. Given the high case fatality rate, awareness regarding rabies is of prime importance.

Objectives To assess the knowledge regarding epidemiology, prevention and control of rabies among medical students in different years of medical education and training. To study the practices of medical students after dog bite.

Material and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 817 MBBS students, from first year to final year, of GSVM Medical College Kanpur. A pre-tested questionnaire was used. Data was analysed using Instat and chi square test for trend was applied. Results were interpreted at 5% level of significance.

Results NO. OF STUDENTS IN THE STUDY (N=817)

Overall analysis showed: About 80% subjects knew that rabies is caused by a virus. 100% knew dog bite as main source of transmission and only 60% knew about transmission by other animals. Hydrophobia as a symptom was known to all subjects(99.5%) but prodromal symptoms(34.2%), perspiration/excessive salivation(37%),muscle spasms(66.3%) and aerophobia(61%). It was comparatively less commonly known. Almost everyone knew that the disease is nearly always fatal(99%). After dog bite, 90.3% subjects got vaccinated whereas only 77% got immediate wound toilet done.

Knowledge regarding epidemiology of rabies among medical students

Knowledge about symptoms of Rabies

Knowledge about disease prevention and control among medical students Contd.

Practices following dog-bite in a sub-sample of the study population

Conclusions The study showed that the level of awareness of rabies and its control measures was higher among the 3 rd professional students as compared to those in 1 st and 2 nd professionals. An increasing trend in the knowledge was observed with increasing years of medical education. Yet the knowledge about wound toilet, vaccination schedule and doses and reporting to municipal authorities was significantly low.

Recommendations This suggests that overall knowledge about rabies is good. However, the students in the 1 st year, who are coming from the general population, have lesser awareness. This signifies that there should be efforts to increase the awareness about rabies through inculcating it in the curriculum of the students studying in high school and intermediate. This will help to spread the knowledge in the society which will in turn help to reduce morbidity and mortality of such a common yet serious disease.

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