Browsing by Author "Hemwan, P."

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Canine Rabies and its implications for human health in Sri Lanka
(Veterinary Research Institute, 2018) Ubeyratne, J.K.H.; Srikitjakarn, L.; Pfeiffer, D.U.; Kohnle, L.; Sunil-Chandra, N.P.; Chaisowwong, W.; Hemwan, P.
Rabies is an endemic viral zoonotic disease in Sri Lanka. Dogs are the main reservoir and transmitter, making surveillance of canine rabies crucial for disease elimination. Sri Lanka is one of the Asian countries where human deaths from rabies have been reduced markedly, but it still remains a significant public health problem. Ninety-five percent of human cases in the country are attributed to dog bites. Human settlement patterns allow the existence of dogs. The size of the dog populations is dependent on the habitat, especially the availability of resources such as food, water, and shelter. Although most dogs are owned, many ownerless dogs are allowed to roam freely resulting in vaccination coverage in dogs is heterogeneous. Other terms for ownerless dogs, i.e., dogs which do not have an acknowledged owner include community dogs and stray dogs. Such type of ownerless dogs are more common in rural as compared to urban areas. The frequency of vaccination in ownerless dogs is below the required level. Human attitudes towards dogs, especially ideas of responsible ownership, dog-keeping practices, and other aspects of human behavior influence rabies transmission risk. Research is required to reduce existing gaps in understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general population regarding the need for both dog population control and for rabies vaccination. Additionally, an improved understanding of dog demography and the ecological context of dog populations is essential for increasing dog vaccination coverage, achieving more effective vaccination campaign planning, and better determining the needs of dog population management programs. In order to achieve control of and finally eliminate rabies in Sri Lanka, the epidemiology of canine rabies in the country should be studied in relation to dog ecology and social aspects of pet ownership. A well-executed rabies control program needs to be based on integrated information regarding dog populations including an understanding of relevant differences in environmental habitats, in human cultures and social strata, and in different epidemiological situations. This article examines the rabies situation in Sri Lanka with respect to trends in human and canine rabies and identifies challenges ahead for rabies elimination.
A Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey on canine rabies prevention and control in four rural areas of Sri Lanka
(Blackwell Verlag, 2021) Ubeyratne, K.; Srikitjakarn, L.; Pfeiffer, D.; Kong, F.; Sunil-Chandra, N.; Chaisowwong, W.; Hemwan, P.
ABSTRACT: Rabies is a fatal viral disease that affects all mammals. It causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths worldwide annually. Dogs are the main reservoir and transmitter of rabies to human in Sri Lanka. Prevention and control measures include the mass vaccination of dogs and human post-exposure treatment. While these measures appear to be homogeneous across the country, there is a need to identify community-level gaps due to the decentralization of regional health and veterinary services in conducting such activities. A community-based questionnaire survey was conducted to identify potential risk factors and gaps related to knowledge, attitudes and practices on rabies prevention and control in the rural regions of Sri Lanka. Lower knowledge scores were associated with respondents between 18 and 38 years old, had no experience of being bitten, and own semi-independent dogs. Despite associated fear of stray dogs with health issues, some communities provide shelter and/or food for the stray dogs. Uptake of population control and vaccination of dogs across the grama niladhari divisions (GNDs), which are the smallest administrative units, differed. More than 80% of dogs were not desexed and community knowledge on vaccination delivery, booster and vaccination schedules were also variable. Even though 69% of respondents identified stray/community dogs as potential carriers' owners allow their dogs to roam the neighbourhood. Most of the respondents were able to identify the need for post-exposure treatment after a dog bite. However, post-exposure prophylaxis uptake by the local victims ranged between 83.00% and 87.50%. Low participation was reported in health education in the communities. Lack of knowledge on other potential carriers was similar to previous survey studies in the last decade. Collaborations between local communities, veterinary and medical services are necessary to scale up the control programme in order to achieve the global target of zero rabies deaths by 2030. Further community-level studies are recommended. KEYWORDS: attitudes and practices (kap) survey; community knowledge; disease control; rabies; rural; veterinary epidemiology; zoonosis.