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Volume 26, Number 7—July 2020
Research

Bat and Lyssavirus Exposure among Humans in Area that Celebrates Bat Festival, Nigeria, 2010 and 2013

Neil M. VoraComments to Author , Modupe O.V. Osinubi, Lora Davis, Mohammed Abdurrahman, Elizabeth B. Adedire, Henry Akpan, Abimbola F. Aman-Oloniyo, Solomon W. Audu, Dianna Blau, Raymond S. Dankoli, Ajoke M. Ehimiyein, James A. Ellison, Yemi H. Gbadegesin, Lauren Greenberg, Dana Haberling, Christina Hutson, Jibrin M. Idris, Grace S.N. Kia, Maruf Lawal, Samson Y. Matthias, Philip P. Mshelbwala, Michael Niezgoda, Albert B. Ogunkoya, Abiodun O. Ogunniyi, Gloria C. Okara, Babasola O. Olugasa, Okechukwu P. Ossai, Akin Oyemakinde, Marissa K. Person, Charles E. Rupprecht, Olugbon A. Saliman, Munir Sani, Olufunmilayo A. Sanni-Adeniyi, P.S. Satheshkumar, Todd G. Smith, Mariat O. Soleye, Ryan M. Wallace, Sebastian K. Yennan, and Sergio Recuenco
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (N.M. Vora, M.O.V. Osinubi, L. Davis, D. Blau, J.A. Ellison, L. Greenberg, D. Haberling, C. Hutson, M. Niezgoda, M.K. Person, C.E. Rupprecht, P.S. Satheshkumar, T.G. Smith, R.M. Wallace, S. Recuenco); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria (M. Abdurrahman, S.W. Audu, A.M. Ehimiyein, G.S.N. Kia, M. Lawal, A.B. Ogunkoya, M. Sani); African Field Epidemiology Network, Abuja, Nigeria (E.B. Adedire, J.M. Idris, G.C. Okara); Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja (H. Akpan, A. Oyemakinde, O.A. Sanni-Adeniyi); Walden University, Abuja (A.F. Aman-Oloniyo); World Health Organization, Borno, Nigeria (R.S. Dankoli); Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, Ibadan, Nigeria (Y.H. Gbadegesin); Ministry of Health, Kaduna State, Kaduna, Nigeria (S.Y. Matthias); University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (P.P. Mshelbwala); University of Ibadan, Ibadan (A.B. Ogunkoya, B.O. Olugasa); Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja (A.O. Ogunniyi, S.K. Yennan); Ministry of Health, Enugu State, Enugu, Nigeria (O.P. Ossai); Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ilorin, Nigeria (O.A. Saliman); Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja (M.O. Soleye)

Main Article

Table 3

Factors associated with having ever had bat contact among main household respondents† in 2 community surveys of bat exposures, Idanre area, Nigeria, 2010 and 2013*

Characteristic Contact, no. (%),‡ n = 141 No contact, no. (%),‡ n = 113 p value OR (95% CI)
Demographics
Location
Mean age (SD) 47 (17) 40 (16) 0.001 –
Age range, y 18–89 17–87 – –
Median age (interquartile range) 45 (33–60) 35 (28–50) 0.001 –
Age <25 y 13 (9) 19 (17) 0.07 0.50 (0.24–1.07)
Male
 100 (71)
 61 (54)
 0.01
 2.08 (1.24–3.49)
Education
Some secondary or above 67 (48) 42 (37) 0.10 1.53 (0.92–2.54)
Completed secondary or above
 41 (29)
 30 (27)
 0.66
 1.13 (0.65–1.97)
Household characteristics
No. years living in house
<1 y 15 (11) 16 (16) 0.26 0.65 (0.30–1.38)
<5 y 41 (30) 46 (46) 0.01 0.51 (0.30–0.86)
<10 y 59 (43) 62 (61) 0.005 0.47 (0.28–0.79)
Persons in household
<5 persons 36 (26) 27 (24) 0.76 1.09 (0.61–1.94)
<10 persons 93 (66) 84 (74) 0.15 0.67 (0.39–1.16)
Main material used to build house
Adobe/mud 66 (47) 69 (61) 0.04 0.57 (0.33–0.97)
Cement/brick 74 (52) 44 (39) Ref Referent
Wood 1 (1) 0 (0) 1.00 0.59 (0.03–inf)
Openings in house that could allow bats to enter 82 (58) 73 (65) 0.30 0.76 (0.46–1.27)
Household with animals (pets or livestock) 84 (60) 55 (49) 0.08 1.55 (0.94–2.56)
Household with >1 animal (pest or livestock) that has been vaccinated against rabies
 6 (7)
 1 (2)
 0.19
 4.15 (0.49–35.47)
Other bat-related activities
Participate in bat festival
Ever participated 50 (36) 3 (3) <0.0001 20.17 (6.09–66.82)
First time participated >20 y ago 22 (55) 1 (33) 0.48 2.44 (0.20–29.19)
Participate 2 times/y 22 (45) 1 (33) 0.70 1.63 (0.14–19.18)
Enter a bat cave or bat refuge
Ever entered 51 (36) 2 (2) <0.0001 31.45 (7.45–132.73)
Last time entered ≤6 mo ago 16 (31) 1 (50) 0.59 0.46 (0.03–7.78)
Enter >2 times/y 14 (27) 1 (50) 0.50 0.38 (0.02–6.47)
Prepare a bat as food
Ever prepared 121 (86) 43 (38) <0.0001 9.85 (5.37–18.07)
Last time prepared ≤6 mo ago 66 (55) 19 (44) 0.21 1.57 (0.78–3.17)
Prepare >2 times/y 28 (23) 4 (9) 0.06 2.94 (0.97–8.93)
Eat a bat
Ever eaten 124 (88) 52 (46) <0.0001 8.56 (4.57–16.03)
Last time eaten <1 mo ago 48 (39) 12 (23) 0.049 2.11 (1.01–4.41)
Eat >2 times/y
 34 (27)
 10 (19)
 0.26
 1.59 (0.72–3.51)
Knowledge
Indicated animal bites as mechanism of rabies transmission 87 (62) 54 (48) 0.03 1.73 (1.05–2.86)
Described rabies as severe 94 (67) 55 (49) 0.004 2.11 (1.27–3.51)
Identified bats as a rabies source 4 (3) 2 (2) 0.58 1.62 (0.29–9.01)
Identified dogs as a rabies source 94 (67) 62 (55) 0.06 1.65 (0.99–2.74)
If bitten or scratched by a bat
Wash wound with soap and water 11 (8) 2 (2) 0.048 4.69 (1.02–21.61)
Seek medical care 38 (27) 35 (31) 0.48 0.82 (0.47–1.42)
Seek a traditional healer or pray 5 (4) 5 (4) 0.72 0.79 (0.22–2.81)
Do nothing 69 (49) 50 (45) 0.46 1.21 (0.73–1.98)
If bitten by a potentially rabid animal
Wash wound with soap and water 3 (2) 1 (1) 0.44 2.43 (0.25–23.73)
Seek medical care 93 (66) 69 (61) 0.42 1.24 (0.74–2.07)
Seek a traditional healer or pray 7 (5) 3 (3) 0.35 1.91 (0.48–7.58)
Do nothing
 22 (16)
 18 (16)
 0.94
 0.98 (0.49–1.92)
History of rabies vaccination
 1 (1)
 1 (1)
 0.87
 0.80 (0.05–12.91)
Aware that bats can cause disease other than rabies
 8 (6)
 4 (4)
 0.44
 1.62 (0.48–5.54)
Know of reports of illness as a result of bats or being in bat cave 3 (2) 1 (1) 0.45 2.41 (0.25–23.52)

*Bat contact was defined as having touched a bat, having been bitten by a bat, or having been scratched by a bat. OR, odds ratio; –, not applicable or not calculated.
†Main household respondents are adults or mature minors (persons aged 13–17 y who were married, had children, or provided for their own livelihood) present at the time of household visit who provided consent to participate in the survey; the main household respondent was the first person of the household to whom the study questionnaire was administered. Additional household respondents are other consenting or assenting household members who were immediately available to answer the study questionnaire and either had previously had bat contact or had previously eaten a bat.
‡Ten of the 264 main household respondents participated in both the 2010 community survey and the 2013 community survey. They were deleted from the 2013 community survey data..

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Page created: March 25, 2020
Page updated: June 18, 2020
Page reviewed: June 18, 2020
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