Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies in El Jadida Region, Morocco
Khadija Bouaddi, Abdelali Bitar, Mohammed Bouslikhane, Abdesslam Ferssiwi, Aziz Fitani, Philip P. Mshelbwala
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding rabies in the El Jadida region, Morocco. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire among randomly selected residents across 24 study sites. In total, 407 respondents took part in the survey. The majority (367, 92%) were male and had no formal education (270, 66%). Some (118, 29%) believed that rabies does not affect humans. Most respondents (320, 79%) were aware that vaccination could prevent rabies, but nevertheless did not vaccinate their dogs (264, 64.9%) and allowed their dogs to roam freely in search of food. Some (52.8%) would visit traditional healers for treatment in the event of a dog bite incident. Age and educational level were found to be significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices (p < 0.05). Although respondents demonstrated some level of knowledge about rabies, overall this study reveals critical gaps in their attitudes and practices. These shortcomings may be associated with a low level of education. Therefore, decision-makers need a new approach to control rabies, with a special focus on public awareness and health education, in order to sustain rabies control programs.