Demographic Study Of Dogs In Rural And Urban Areas In Umuahia; A Step Towards Eradication Of Rabies.:- Nwaogu, Chiamaka C

ABSTRACT Dog-mediated human rabies remains a major public health threat in Nigeria. The availability of reliable dog population estimates are key in planning control strategies for canine rabies in developing countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the demography of dogs in umuahia. A cross sectional study was carried out in Umuahia North and Umuahia south, Abia state, Nigeria between September and November 2019. A total of 159 questionnaires were distributed for compound dog count. Information obtained included household information such as numbers of dogsinthe premises, housing and control ofdog movement, and history ofdog bites and individual dog information such as breed, sex, age, source ofdog, source offood, and vaccination status. 257 dogs were counted which comprised of 126 (49%) males and 131 (51%) female out of which 46.3% were confined. The dog vaccination coverage in the dog population surveyed was 47.9%. Majority ofthe respondents (83.3%) stated that no member oftheir family has been bitten by a dog. The findings of this study shows a female: male ratio of dog to be 1.04:1. There was irresponsible dog ownership as a good number of dogs were left to roam. This study also show a low anti-rabies vaccination coverage in Umuahia North and Umuahia South LGA which falls below the recommended 70-80% vaccination coverage by the World Health Organization to achieve herd immunity.