Rabies and rabies postexposure prophylaxis in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County from 1986 to 2021

Abstract

SUMMARY Aim To present the characteristics of rabies preventive measures at the Antirabies Clinic at the Epidemiological Department of the Teaching Institute for Public Health Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, in the period from 1986 to 2021. Respondents and methods In this study, data from anti-rabies surveys included in the annual reports submitted to the Ministry of Health Rabies Reference Center were used. Persons who received antirabies protection (immunoprophylaxis – vaccination against rabies with or without human rabies immunoglobulin) were mostly residents of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, dominantly from the city of Rijeka and its surroundings. Results In the period from 1986 to 2021, a decreasing trend in the number of examined persons at the Antirabies Clinic was determined (y=–6.9+304, R 2 =0.78; p<0.05), from 263 to 50 persons. During the study period the number of people who received protection against rabies increased (y=0.95+19, R 2 =0.24; p<0.05).In this period 7678 persons were examined, out of which 1318 received immunoprophylaxis(17.2%). A total of 42.3% of females(558/1318) and 57.7% of males (760/1318) were immunized. Most people were vaccinated because of scratches, contacts from unknown, dead, stray, killed or wild animals (N=1005) (group C), or because of scratches and contacts with an animal tested positive for rabies (N=155) (group A). People were most often treated with antirabies treatment due to scratches or contact with a dog (752/1318; 57.1%). In 2011, the last person to receive antirabies treatment due to the contact with an animal tested positive for rabies was recorded. Conclusion In 35 years of operation of the Antirabies Clinic in Rijeka, no rabies cases have been recorded in humans, which can be attributed to effective antirabies protection measures. The multidisciplinary approach has proven to be the most effective in reducing the incidence of rabies in animals and consequently preventing the occurrence of rabies in humans from the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and the Republic of Croatia. However, human anti-rabies immunoprophylaxis still plays an indispensable role in the prevention of rabies.