Assessing factors associated with owner's individual decision to vaccinate their dogs against rabies: A house-to-house survey in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

• Main Authors: Madi Savadogo, Abdoul-Fataf Soré, Laibané Dieudonné Dahourou, Walter Ossebi, Alima Hadjia Banyala Combari, Rianatou Bada Alambedji, Zékiba Tarnagda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Veterinary World 2021-04-01
• Series: Veterinary World
• Subjects: burkina faso; dog vaccination; household survey; owned dogs; rabies control
• Online Access: http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.14/April-2021/29.pdf
• ISSN: 0972-8988; 2231-0916

Background and Aim: In rabies endemic area, dog vaccination is an effective way of controlling the disease in animals and humans if a minimum of 70% vaccination coverage is reached. This study aimed to identify dog demographics and household characteristics associated with dogs' vaccination against rabies in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents with regard to their dogs' demographics and their household characteristics. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were performed to assess the association between explicative variables and the dogs' vaccination status. Results: Overall, as per the findings of this study, it was determined that out of 424 dogs, 57.8% were reportedly vaccinated. The vaccination status was significantly associated with most of the household variables (e.g., gender of the respondent, age, level of education, main means of transportation, participation in a vaccination campaign, knowledge on rabies, and knowledge on dog vaccination) and the dogs' variables (breed of dog, dog origin, purpose for keeping, confinement status, and perceived behavior) (p<0.05). Moreover, only religion, type of housing, knowledge of rabies transmission modes, and dog sex were not significantly associated with vaccination status (p>0.05). Conclusion: Our study generated informative data showing that animal health workers could develop effective rabies vaccination strategy planning by examining owned dog demographics and their husbandry practices in households.