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Nigerian Veterinary Journal VOL:33 (3) 549-556 A R T I C L E Retrospective Study on Puppy Bites Reported to Veterinary Clinic, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, Plateau State from 2004 to 2010. KUJUL, N.B.1, KARSHIMA, N.S.*1, CHUKWUEDO, A.A.2, OLALEYE, S.3 and SALISU, A.A.1 1 Department of Animal Health, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, 2 Virology Department, 3 Rabies Unit, Central Diagnostic Laboratory, Nigerian Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State. Nigeria. ABSTRACT each. The results showed that puppies In a retrospective study of puppy bite below the age of three months can come cases, a total of 130 cases of bites were down with rabies. It is recommended that analyzed using seven years records of the age for rabies vaccination in Plateau puppy bites obtained at the Veterinary State and Nigeria at large where the Clinic of the Federal College of Animal disease is endemic be reconsidered Health and Production Technology, Vom, especially where bitch immunization is Plateau State. Of these, 53.1% (69/130) uncertain. and 46.9 (61/130) were bites from male Key words: Puppy bites, rabies, and female puppies respectively. This was retrospective study, fluorescent antibody statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Based test, Plateau State. on age groups, cases of bites were highest 39.2% (51/130) and lowest, 19.2% INTRODUCTION (25/130), for age groups >2-4 and 0-2 Rabies is an acute, highly contagious, and respectively. The highest cases of bites, fatal disease of warm-blooded animals 22.3% (29/130) were recorded in 2004, characterized by a long and variable while 2006 had the lowest with 11.5% incubation period (Awoyomi et al., 2007). (15/130) which was statistically It is an infectious viral disease of the insignificant (p>0.05). Also 60.0% Central Nervous System (CNS) leaving (78/130) of the bite cases were as a result of victims suffering from convulsions, provocation while the remaining 40.0% paralysis, excessive salivation, and an (52/130) were unprovoked bites. The aversion to water leading to death of outcome of fluorescent antibody test affected animal in most cases (Beard, showed that 33.1% (43/130) of the puppies 2001). Two types of rabies cycles exist, and were positive for rabies. Also of this 33.1% these include the sylvatic and urban types. positive samples, 22.3% (29/130) and In the sylvatic cycle, the infection is 10.8% (14/130) were males and females maintained as an enzootic disease in respectively. This was statistically several species, such as foxes, raccoons, significant (p<0.05). The highest apparent and bats (Salmón-Mulanovich et al., prevalence was obtained in Jos South 2009). The disease is an acute progressive 12.3% (16/130), while the lowest was in encephalitis characterized by changes in Shendam 0.8% (1/130). None of the cases behavior like agitation, excitation, and from Pankshin was positive for rabies. Also drooling of saliva. At first there might not Jos South recorded highest number of be any symptoms, but weeks, or even years cases 55 (42.3%), while the least were in after a bite, rabies can cause pain, fatigue, Langtang and Shendam with 3 (2.3%) headache, and fever. These are followed by 549 N i g e r i a n Ve t e r i n a r y J o u r n a l 2 0 1 2 3 3 ( 3 ) seizures, hallucinations, and paralysis. rabid animal bite. However, human-to- There have been fewer than five known human transmission of rabies virus cases where recovery has occurred (Beard, occurred through organ transplantations. 2001). It is caused by rabies virus, which is Furthermore, the virus can be transmitted a bullet–shaped, enveloped RNA virus through corneal transplantation from an belonging to the family rhabdoviridae and infected donor and viral inhalation may genus Lyssavirus type 1 (Knobel et al., also result in infection (Takayama, 2005). 2005; Salmón-Mulanovich et al., 2009). This retrospective study aims at analyzing records of puppy bite cases, circumstance Globally, over 55,000 annual deaths are that influenced the bite, management of recorded as a result of rabies with 99% of bites, and outcomes of laboratory results of these deaths in the countries of Africa and heads of puppies submitted by victims for Asia (WHO, 2005). In Nigeria, it is laboratory analysis. estimated that 10,000 cases of human rabies occur annually (Nawathe, 1980). MATERIALS AND METHODS The disease remains a very important Study Area: This study covered ten public health issue in Nigeria and West LGAs of Plateau State where cases of Africa. It is the most important zoonotic puppy bites were reported from. These disease in the country that causes a lot of include Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Jos South, fear to the populace (Suzuki et al., 2008). Jos North, Langtang, Mangu, Pankshin, Quanpam, Ryom, Shendam, and others. The disease was first reported in Nigeria in Others covered all cases submitted without 1912 in two persons, but the first records of location. laboratory confirmation was in 1925 by the Records: A restrospective study was demonstration of negri bodies in the brain carried out on the records of bites by smear of a rabid dog (Boulger and Hardy, puppies reported to the Veterinary Clinic 1960). It remained an endemic problem of the Federal College of Animal Health since then (Umoh and Belino, 1978; and Production Technology, Vom Nawathe, 1980). The vaccination of dogs (VCFCAH & PTV) between 2004 and 2010. and control of stray dogs still remain the Records of puppy bites were considered in major control strategy (Umoh and Belino, relation to LGAs, sex and age groups of 1978; Meslin et al., 1994). In Nigeria, the puppies. Records obtained also included dog alone plays about 94% role in the circumstances of bites as well as outcome transmission of rabies from animal to of Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT) animal and animal to man, while animals conducted on the heads of puppies at the such as cats, monkeys and others make up Rabies diagnostic laboratory of National the remaining 6% (Ogboegbulem, 1994). Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom. Records of receipt of human post Attempts for the control of rabies is dated exposure prophylaxis by victims were also as far back as 1885 when Pasteur made the considered. first vaccine to be used in both animals and man. In Nigeria, the modified live virus All cases of dog bites from both male and vaccine-low egg passage produced in 1956 female dogs less or equal to six months of and the high egg passage produced in 1970 age submitted to the VCFCAH & PTV for dogs and cats respectively targeted between 2004 and 2010 were included in disease control (Ogboegbulem, 1994). the study while cases of dog bites from Usually humans contract rabies through dogs of age greater than six months were 550 Ku j u l , N . B . , e t . a l . Re t r o s p e c t i v e S t u d y o n Pu p p y B i t e s Re p o r t e d t o Ve t e r i n a r y C l i n i c excluded. p r o v o c a t i o n a n d u n p r o v o c a t i o n Ages of puppies were grouped into 0-2 respectively (Table 2). Based on LGAs, the months, >2-4 months, >4-6 months, and highest 25.3% (33/130) and lowest 0.8% unspecified. The unspecified group (1/130) of provoked bites were recorded in included all puppies registered as puppies Jos South as well as Mangu and Shendam without age specification. LGAs respectively. Cases of unprovoked bites were highest in Jos South with 16.9% Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT): (22/130) and lowest in Quampan and Heads of puppies involved in bites were Langtang LGAs each with 0.8% (1/130) as subjected to the FAT at rabies diagnostic shown in Table 2. Also 12.3% and 20.8% of unit of the Central Diagnostic Laboratory, the FAT positive cases were due to National Veterinary Research Institute, p r o v o c a t i o n a n d u n p r o v o c a t i o n Vom, according to the protocol described respectively (Table 5). by OIE (2010). All results were expressed The overall apparent prevalence of rabies as percentages and subjected to Chi square from these records was 33.1% (43/130) as (X 2 ) test. Values of p<0.05 were shown in Tables 3, 4, and 5. The highest considered significant. apparent prevalence of 12.3% (16/130) was recorded in Jos South (2/3) while the RESULTS lowest was recorded in Quampan and A total of 130 cases of puppy bites were Shendam with 0.8% (1/130) each. It was recorded during the period under review also observed that 22.3% (29/130) and (Tables 1, 2, and 3). Table 1 shows cases of 10.8% (14/130) of the FAT positive cases puppy bites in relation to age groups and were males and females respectively sex of puppies. The age group >2-4 months (Table 4). None of the cases from Pankshin recorded highest cases of bite with 39.2% was positive for rabies (Table 3). (51/130) while the lowest was observed Also out of the 130 human victims bitten by among puppies within the age group 0-2 these puppies, about 44.6% (58/130) months with 19.2 (25/130).