Livestock Community and Environment. Proceedings of the 10^th Conference of the Association of Institutions for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2001

Factors affecting antirabies vaccination practice of domestic carnivores in Cameroon

Tchoumboue, J., Awah-ndukum, J. and Tchadji, J.C.

Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, P.O. box 222, Dschang, Cameroon.

Abstract

Rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease of all warm-blooded animals including man. The disease is endemic in many poor developing countries because of poor antirabies vaccination rate. The dog, and to a minor extent the cat, is the main vector of this disease in Cameroon. Increasing bites by non-vaccinated dogs and cats are being observed in humans with more than 50 deaths being recorded annually in the urban areas of the Cameroon. In order to assess the factors that affect antirabies vaccination 276 dog and/or cat owners owning 252 dogs and 124 cats in four localities (Bangangte, Bafoussam, Bandjoun and Dschang) of the Western Highlands of Cameroon (LN 5-7° and LE 9-11°) were interviewed between July and December 2000. From the main results only 68.1% of domestic carnivore owners were aware of the public health importance of rabies. Although 50.5% of conscious owners vaccinate their animals, only a discouraging 36.5% of dogs and 5.6% of cats were vaccinated against rabies. This poor vaccination rate was because up to 44.6% of animal owners were ignorant of the need of antirabies vaccination while 52.3% and 33.3% complained of cost of vaccination and lack of veterinarians, respectively. Lack of awareness, high cost of vaccination and absence of veterinary services are the major constraints limiting antirabies vaccination of dogs and cats, which must be tackled for effective control of rabies from the region.

Introduction

Rabies is a highly fatal natural disease of domestic and wild carnivores but all warm-blooded animals including farm animals and man are susceptible. Some countries are free from the disease because of their natural protection as Islands or enforcement of rigid control measures (Blood and Radostits, 1989). However, it is endemic and at times epidemic in other parts of the world particularly the poor developing countries. Increasing numbers of persons in Cameroon are keeping dogs and cats as pets, guard, companion or hunting animal although they are considered as the main source of the disease. Traditionally these domestic carnivores are vaccinated in the country against rabies as from 3 months of age with annual boasters. Although there are conflicting reports mostly undocumented by veterinarians and human health officials as to the effectiveness of antirabies vaccination in the control of the disease in dogs and cats, the level of awareness of the Cameroonian public to the dangers of rabies is not known.

This preliminary study was therefore carried out in the Western Highlands of Cameroon to determine the factors that affect the control of a potential health hazard due to rabies through antirabies vaccination of dogs and cats.

Materials and methods

During the period of July – December 2000, 276 dog and/or cat owners with a total of 252 dogs and 124 cats were interviewed in 4 localities (Bangangte, Bafoussam, Bandjoun and Dschang) of the West Province (in the Western Highlands) of Cameroon to determine their awareness about the dangers of rabies and its control through vaccination.

Statistical analysis

In each locality the proportion of interviewees with respect to their awareness about the dangers of rabies, vaccination against the disease and constraints limiting antirabies vaccination were calculated. The proportions obtained were compared and the level of significant differences determined using chi-square test and normal distribution techniques. (Steel and Torie, 1982).

Results

Awareness of the dangers of rabies and need to vaccinate domestic carnivores

The distribution of antirabies vaccination of dogs and cats by owners and the awareness of the dangers of rabies amongst domestic carnivore owners are shown on Table 1 and Figure 1 respectively. In the study, up to 31.9% (88) of domestic carnivore owners were ignorant of the dangers of rabies with the proportion being significantly lower (P<0.05) in Bofoussam. However, only 50.5% (95) of owners who were conscious of the disease vaccinate their animals.

Table 1: Relationship between level of awareness of the dangers of rabies and antirabies vaccination among 276 dog and cat owners in West Province, Cameroon

Locality	Aware and vaccinate		Not aware but vaccinate
	Number of owners	Percentage (%)	Number of owners	Percentage (%)
Bangangte	25 (47)^1	53.2^a	4 (24)^2	16.7^ab
Bafoussam	29 (65)	44.6^a	5 (15)	33.3^a
Bandjoun	18 (34)	52.9^a	2 (26)	7.7^b
Dschang	23 (42)	54.8^a	2 (23)	8.7^b
Total	95 (188)	50.5	13 (88)	14.8

a, b: same letter in a column is not significantly different (P>0.05)

1: persons conscious of rabies

2: persons not conscious of rabies

Fig. 1: Distribution of the awareness of the dangers of rabies among dog and cat owners in West Province, Cameroon.

Table 2 and Figure 2 present the proportion of dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies and distribution of the level of antirabies vaccination practice by dog and cat owners respectively. Although only 68.1% (188) of animal owners were aware of the dangers of rabies, a discouraging 60.1% (168) of owners do not vaccinate their animals. More dogs (36.5%) than cats (5.6%) were vaccinated though no difference (P>0.05) was observed between the localities.

Table 2: Proportion (%) of dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies in West Province, Cameroon

Locality	Dogs		Cats
	Number	Percentage (%)	Number	Percentage (%)
Bangangte	24 (65)*	36.9^a	2 (32)*	6.3^a
Bafoussam	37 (73)	50.7^b	3 (36)	8.3^a
Bandjoun	11 (35)	31.4^a	1 (27)	3.7^a
Dschang	20 (59)	33.9^a	1 (29)	3.4^a
Total	92 (252)	36.5	7 (124)	5.6

a, b: same letter in a column is not significantly different (P>0.05)

*: Total number of animals

Fig. 2: Distribution of the level of antirabies vaccination practice by dog and cat owners in West Province, Cameroon.

Reasons for non-antirabies vaccination of domestic carnivores

The main reasons for the non-vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies are shown in Table 3. The proportion of owners ignorant of the need to vaccinate was least (P<0.05) in Bafoussam where more owners also complained of high cost of vaccination. The absence of veterinarians was common complain in all the localities.

Table 3: Main reasons for non-vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies by owners in the West Province, Cameroon

Locality	Total number of owners	Ignorant of the need to vaccinate		High cost of vaccination		Absence of veterinary services
		Number of owners	Percentage (%)	Number of owners	Percentage (%)	Number of owners	Percentage (%)
Bangangte	42	20	47.6^a	19	45.2^a	15	35.7^a
Bafoussam	46	10	21.7^b	36	78.3^b	11	23.9^a
Bandjoun	40	24	60.0^a	16	40.0^a	14	35.0^a
Dschang	40	21	52.5^a	17	42.5^a	16	40.0^a
Total	168	75	44.6	88	52.3	56	33.3

a, b: same letter in a column is not significantly different (P>0.05)

Discussion

In the study, significant portions of the community of Bandjoun were not aware of the dangers of rabies followed by Dschang, Bangangte and Bafoussam. This result is also similar to the arrangement of animal owners who do not vaccinate their dogs in the various communities. Amongst the areas, Bafoussam is the most urban and Bandjoun the most rural while Dschang and Bangangte are in between. The urban/rural nature of these areas explains the results obtained in this study. Also veterinary services are more functional in the urban areas while they are few or non-existent in the rural areas. Dog and cat owners and the population in general need to be educated on the nature of rabies and measures for its eradication in the zone. An extension activity towards the control of rabies through antirabies vaccination of dogs and cats is important though it may be slower and more difficult in the rural than urban areas.

Though the Bafoussam community presented the least proportion of animal owners who are aware of the hazards of rabies and vaccinate their animals, it also presents the highest proportion of owners who are ignorant of the disease but vaccinate their animals. This is due to the urban nature of the area and/or, the pressure to control rabies in the densely populated town has probably forced the unaware owners to vaccinate their animals. In the urban areas there are more domestic carnivores, plenty of which roam freely and humans are more exposed to bites by dogs and cats. There is therefore an increased likelihood of human rabies.

Amongst the reasons for non-vaccination, ignorance, high cost of vaccination and unavailability of veterinary services were sited as the most important. Though the rural Bandjoun domestic carnivore owners were most ignorant of the need to vaccinate their animals, they complained least about the cost of vaccination. On the contrary animal owners in Bafoussam complained most about the cost of vaccination and also presented the least ignorance to vaccination.

Further statistical analysis of the results obtained showed that lack of veterinarians was the most important reason for the poor antirabies vaccination of these domestic carnivores. The ignorance of the need to vaccinate and high cost of vaccination were directly related to the unavailability of adequate veterinary services. The population is therefore not fully informed about the nature and control measures of the fatally zoonotic disease. Also, although the high cost of antirabies vaccination (2500 – 5000frs CFA / U.S.$3 – 7) has been associated to shortage of veterinary services in the area, it may also be related to the poor economic state of the country. The poor vaccination rate of the dogs and cats in this study is also suggestive of the lack of awareness of the dangers of rabies in the region.

Lack of awareness, high cost of vaccination and absence of veterinary services are the main limiting factors to antirabies vaccination of domestic carnivores, which must be tackled for effective control of rabies from the region.

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the cooperation of the dog and cat owners in the study.

References

Blood and Radostits (1989): Veterinary Medicine. 7^th Edition, Baillière Tindall, London. pp. 919–925.