Clinico-demographic and treatment seeking profile of children below 15 years attending the anti-rabies clinic

Background: Rabies being 100% fatal disease, every individual is vulnerable to animal bite irrespective of age, sex and socio-economic status. Children are at greater risk. Though most of the bites are by pet animal and provoked, they are more severe, usually on proximal part of the body including face, neck and scalp and thus lifethreatening. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital based study in the anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) clinic from November to April 2013. Every new child below 15 years attending the out-patient department was interviewed along with his parents for demographic data, details of animal bite and treatment received and also myths following animal bite after taking an informed consent using a pre-designed proforma. The results were analyzed by proportion and percentages. Results: Prevalence of animal bite in children was found to be 32.98%. It was more in the age group of 5-10 years and rural children. Nearly 23.96% of children were having lacerated wound and 11.75% were having injury on head and face. About 31.12% of the children reported late by 24 h. Local cleaning of wound was not satisfactory in 66.82% of the children. ARV schedule was not completed by 8.99% of the children while anti-rabies serum was not received by 86.16% of children. Myths regarding restrictions of milk and rice were prevalent in 94.56% population. After counseling also 44.67% were reluctant to the advice. Conclusion: About one-third of cases being related to children, prevention and control strategies are needed to reduce it.