Comportamiento epidemiológico de la rabia humana en el estado Zulia, Venezuela, durante el período de vigilancia: enero 1993 - junio 2009

• Main Authors: Luzardo de la V María Alcira, Barboza A Nelis del Pilar, Briceño A Soledad G, López C Cecilia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2010
• Subjects: Rabia; vigilancia epidemiológica; profilaxia; Rabies; epidemiological surveillance; prophylaxis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/06fdb2f9533d4c2bbcdc1c7f106e68a8

Abstract: Rabies represents a major public health problem in the State of Zulia, constituting the entity with the highest incidence of animal and human cases in Venezuela, registering 25 human deaths by rabies from January, 1993 – June, 2009. The objective of this study is to describe its epidemiological behavior during this period; the epidemiological study was observational and descriptive. The sample included all cases confirmed as human rabies in the entity during this period (n = 25); they were between 2 and 57 years of age, from both sexes and 7 municipalities. Data was taken from the reports of rabies cases in the Regional Epidemiology Direction. The results are expressed in percentages, means, confidence intervals, mortality rate and distributions according to age, sex and municipality of occurrence. The highest incidence was in males (68%).The group between 2-10 years was principally affected (60%). Eighty per cent of the cases did not seek post-exposure consultation and did not receive timely prophylaxis. The direct fluorescent antibody test was used for diagnostic confirmation. Knowledge about forms of rabies transmission is crucial for its prevention; the time between viral inoculation and neural invasion is perhaps the only period for an effective prophylaxis. Resumen: La rabia representa un importante problema de salud pública en el estado Zulia, constituyendo en Venezuela la entidad con mayor incidencia de casos en animales y humanos, registrándose 25 muertes humanas por rabia durante el período enero 1993 - junio 2009. Describir su comportamiento epidemiológico durante este período constituye nuestro objetivo. Estudio epidemiológico realizado: observacional, descriptivo. La muestra incluyó todos los casos confirmados como rabia humana en la entidad durante este lapso (n = 25), con edades entre 2-57 años, de ambos sexos y procedentes de 7 municipios con incidencia. Datos tomados de los informes de casos de rabia de la Dirección Regional de Epidemiología. Los resultados están expresados en ...