Volume 22, Number 3—March 2016
Letter
Suspected Rabies in Humans and Animals, Laikipia County, Kenya
Table
Responses to questionnaire interview of 11 animal bite victims assessed for rabies, Laikipia County, Kenya, 2014*
Variables/categories | No. (%) case-patients |
---|---|
Time of bite | |
Evening | 6 (55) |
Morning | 4 (36) |
Afternoon |
1 (9) |
Part of body bitten | |
Legs | 8 (73) |
Arms |
3 (27) |
Circumstances of bite | |
Unprovoked | 9 (82) |
Animal provoked |
2 (18) |
Type of animal | |
Dog | 10 (91) |
Cat |
1 (9) |
Ownership of biting animal | |
Owned | 9 (82) |
Stray |
2 (18) |
Rabies vaccination history of biting animal | |
Unknown | 7 (64) |
Not vaccinated |
4 (36) |
Outcome of biting animal | |
Alive and normal | 7 (64) |
Deceased |
4 (36) |
Wound washed after bite | |
Yes | 9 (82) |
No |
2 (18) |
Treatment at healthcare facility | |
Anti-tetanus | 9 (82) |
PEP rabies vaccination | 8 (72) |
Pain killers |
5 (46) |
Distance from nearest PEP facility, km | |
>10 | 7 (64) |
5–10 | 3 (27) |
0–5 |
1 (9) |
Source of PEP | |
Government facility | 5 (63) |
Chemist | 2 (25) |
Private hospital | 1 (13) |
Costs of PEP, US$† | |
No. doses of PEP administered | 23 |
Cost categories | Average (range) |
Cost/dose of PEP | ≈8 (2–15) |
Total cost of PEP doses | ≈23 (8–50) |
Direct medical cost | ≈65 (2–500) |
Indirect medical cost | ≈34 (4–100) |
Average cost for obtaining 1 dose of PEP |
≈45 (8–120) |
*PEP, postexposure prophylaxis. †Average annual exchange rate during 2013 was 1 Kenya shilling/$0.011586 US. |