Study on the epidemiological characteristics of rabies and its prevention and control from 1986 to 2006 in Huzhou City of Zhejiang Province

Objective The present study was conducted to gain an insight into the epidemiological characteristics of rabies and its predisposing factors in Huzhou for the development of better preventive and controlling strategies,contributing to the containment of rabies picking-up in the city. Methods Data on the epidemic situation and individual cases of rabies in Huzhou from 1986 to 2006 were collected and analyzed by descriptive epidemiology. Results A total of 98 cases of rabies,distributed in Changxing county,Anji county and the urban area of Huzhou City,were identified from 1986 to 2006. 50% of all the cases(49) were from Changxing County,the incidence being the highest of all the city. Rural children and young adults were more frequently affected with the incidence higher among males than among females. The epidemic could be seen all around the year,the incidence relatively higher in summer and autumn. It had been decreasing since early 1990s,and there was no Rabies case during 1999 to 2002. The epidemic took on a decreasing trend from early 1990s and no case of rabies occurred from 1999 to 2002. However,the epidemic picked up rapidly after 2003. Conclusion The major factors involved in the picking-up of the epidemic includes the increasing exposure to the infection because of the increase in the number of raised dogs,lack of knowledge and sense of disease prevention,failure to treat the wounds timely by proper procedures and to have been vaccinated with rabies vaccine and human rabies immune globulin,and existence of natural rabies foci. Measures specific for the causes should be taken to keep the epidemic under control.