Prevalence of Rabies Pre-exposure Vaccination and Risk Perception among Veterinary Students at the University of Ibadan- A Cross Sectional Survey

Background: It is often mandatory for veterinarians and clinical veterinary students to receive rabies pre-exposure vaccination being among the occupational at risk group. The practice of encouraging veterinary students to receive rabies pre-exposure vaccination has the advantage of ensuring their safety during their clinical training and practice. The study examined the prevalence of rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis and rabies risk perception among veterinary students at the University of Ibadan. Materials and Methods: A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from registered 325 veterinary students across all levels of study at 45 students per level of study using stratified random sampling method. Social Science Statistical Package 21 was used to analyze results. Results was presented as means, frequencies and percentages. Results: The mean age of respondents was 22.81±4.67 years with 51.3% being male and 91.9% was single. The prevalence of rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis was extremely low, 18.6%. Rabies risk perception was slightly high 62.5% among the respondents. Level of study and previous dog bite injury were statistically significant for rabies risk perception. Conclusion: There was non-compliance with the WHO recommendation that individuals at risk of rabies due to their occupational exposure should receive rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis. The University administration and Veterinary Council of Nigeria should make it known to be a policy for the clinical veterinary students.