Aware Today for a Safe Tomorrow: Understanding Dog Bites as a Public Health Concern
Keywords:
Dog Bites, Awareness, Public Health, Rabies, Prevention strategies, health education
Abstract
Introduction: Dog bites are a major global health issue, leading to injuries, infections, and rabies, especially in regions with many stray dogs and limited healthcare. Children are particularly at risk, suffering severe trauma. This scoping review examines the public health challenges of dog bites and emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies, including vaccination, wound care, and community education. Methods: After an extensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Shodhganga, ResearchGate, and Scopus from 2014 to 2024, this article identified and included 30 relevant studies on dog bites, rabies, and preventive measures. Results: Social, cultural, and public health factors influence dog bite incidents significantly. Effective vaccination campaigns, wound care, and community education are essential. Programs like the "One Health" approach and WHO's "Zero by 30" aim to reduce risks through integrated management and vaccination efforts. Conclusion: Reducing dog bites requires coordinated efforts across healthcare, veterinary services, and community engagement. Public education, responsible pet ownership, and strong healthcare infrastructure are crucial for minimizing incidents and rabies deaths.
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References
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17. Bashir K, Haq I, Khan SMS, Qurieshi MA. One-year descriptive analysis of patients treated at an anti-rabies clinic-A retrospective study from Kashmir. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Aug 25;14(8):e0007477. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007477. PMID: 32841227; PMCID: PMC7473535.
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19. Saleem SM, Jan SS, Khan SMS. Qualitative analysis of the perception of street dog bite victims and implication for the prevention of dog bites at a teaching hospital anti-rabies Clinic. J Family Med Prim Care. 2020 Aug 25;9(8):4118-4126. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_522_20. PMID: 33110819; PMCID: PMC7586553.
20. Cherian V, Dugg P, Khan AM. Prevalence of Pet Dog Ownership in an Urban Colony of East Delhi and Awareness Regarding Canine Zoonotic Diseases and Responsible Pet Ownership among Dog Owners. Indian J Community Med. 2020 Jan-Mar;45(1):89-91. doi: 10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_281_19. PMID: 32029991; PMCID: PMC6985952.
21. National Centre for Disease Control. National action plan for dog mediated rabies elimination from India by 2030 [Internet]. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; 2024 [cited 2024 Jun 16]. Available from: https://www.google.com/search
22. Li X, Liu L, Yang C, Jiang B, He X, Xiong A, Yan H. Dog bite-induced necrosis of lymph nodes: A case report and literature review. IDCases. 2023 Jul 24;33:e01852. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01852. PMID: 37559970; PMCID: PMC10407729.
23. Maurer M, Schlipköter C, Gottsauner M, Waiss W, Meier JK, Fiedler M, Schuderer JG, Taxis J, Reichert TE, Ettl T. Animal Bite Injuries to the Face: A Retrospective Evaluation of 111 Cases. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 6;12(21):6942. doi: 10.3390/jcm12216942. PMID: 37959407; PMCID: PMC10649818.
24. Miyawaki M, Ogawa K, Kamada K, Karashima T, Abe M, Takumi Y, Hashimoto T, Osoegawa A, Sugio K. Tracheal injury from dog bite in a child. J Cardiothorac Surg. 2023 Jan 16;18(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13019-023-02107-6. PMID: 36647124; PMCID: PMC9841626.
25. Bay V, Shirzadi MR, Jafari Sirizi M, Asl IM. Animal bites management in Northern Iran: Challenges and solutions. Heliyon. 2023 Jul 27;9(8):e18637. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18637. PMID: 37554820; PMCID: PMC10404659.
26. McCain JE, Bridgmon AE, King WD, Monroe K. Children's injury database: development of an injury surveillance system in a pediatric emergency department. Inj Epidemiol. 2023 Jul 31;10(Suppl 1):40. doi: 10.1186/s40621-023-00443-8. PMID: 37525256; PMCID: PMC10391750.
27. Huang D, Jia W, Li K, Liu Z, Liu L. Establishment of an Animal Model of Dog Bite Injuries. Int J Med Sci. 2024 Mar 31;21(5):958-964. doi: 10.7150/ijms.94432. PMID: 38617003; PMCID: PMC11008484.
28. Daigle L, Ravel A, Lévesque F, Mokoush KN, Rondenay Y, Simon A, Aenishaenslin C. Barriers and opportunities for improving dog bite prevention and dog management practices in northern Indigenous communities. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Sep 19;10:1199576. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1199576. PMID: 37795013; PMCID: PMC10546191.
29. Gogtay NJ, Nagpal A, Mallad A, Patel K, Stimpson SJ, Belur A, Thatte UM. Demographics of animal bite victims & management practices in a tertiary care institute in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Indian J Med Res. 2014 Mar;139(3):459-62. PMID: 24820842; PMCID: PMC4069742.
30. Pattnaik P, Mahal A, Mishra S, Alkhouri A, Mohapatra RK, Kandi V. Alarming Rise in Global Rabies Cases Calls for Urgent Attention: Current Vaccination Status and Suggested Key Countermeasures. Cureus. 2023 Dec 13;15(12):e50424. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50424. PMID: 38222131; PMCID: PMC10784771.
2. Rahi M, Joy S, Bhargava B. Towards dog-free hospital campuses in India. Indian J Med Res. 2022 Oct-Nov;156(4&5):573-578. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1748_22. PMID: 36510886; PMCID: PMC10231748.
3. Dhiman AK, Thakur A, Mazta SR. Treatment seeking behavior of the dog bite patients in Himachal Pradesh, India: a qualitative study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2016 Aug;3(8):2064-9.
4. Dhillon J, Hoopes J, Epp T. Scoping decades of dog evidence: a scoping review of dog bite-related sequelae. Can J Public Health. 2019 Jun;110(3):364-375. doi: 10.17269/s41997-018-0145-3. Epub 2018 Oct 30. PMID: 30378009; PMCID: PMC6964408.
5. Dutta A, Hiremath RN, Hasure SY. A KAP Study on Dog Bite and Its Management in a Rural Community—Need for Increasing the Awareness. Journal of Medical Sciences. 2022 May;8(2):119.
6. Kishore J, Panda M, Boro P, Mandal RK. Health Literacy about Dog Bite among School Going Adolescents in a Semi-Urban Area of Karnataka. Journal of Communicable Diseases (E-ISSN: 2581-351X & P-ISSN: 0019-5138). 2022 Mar 31;54(1):76-83.
7. Nadal D, Bote K, Masthi R, Narayana A, Ross Y, Wallace R, Abela B. Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis delivery to ensure treatment efficacy and increase compliance. IJID One Health. 2023 Dec;1:100006. doi: 10.1016/j.ijidoh.2023.100006. PMID: 38152594; PMCID: PMC10752235.
8. Vernekar SP, Desai A. A study of dog bites among children in the rural area of Goa, India. J Prev Med Holist Health. 2018;4(1):20-3.
9. John D, Royal A, Bharti O. Burden of illness of dog-mediated rabies in India: A systematic review. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health. 2021 Oct 1;12:100804.
10. Meints K, Brelsford V, De Keuster T. Teaching Children and Parents to Understand Dog Signaling. Front Vet Sci. 2018 Nov 20;5:257. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00257. PMID: 30525045; PMCID: PMC6256863.
11. Dhakal A, Ghimire RP, Regmi S, Kaphle K. Households' Practices towards Rabies Prevention and Control in Rural Nepal. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Apr 6;20(7):5427. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20075427. PMID: 37048041; PMCID: PMC10094547.
12. Meknarit S, Mann AJ, Azar F, Borrego R. Brachial Artery Injury Resulting From a Dog Bite in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report. Cureus. 2023 Sep 25;15(9):e45889. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45889. PMID: 37885488; PMCID: PMC10599209.
13. Giovannini E, Roccaro M, Peli A, Bianchini S, Bini C, Pelotti S, Fais P. Medico-legal implications of dog bite injuries: A systematic review. Forensic Sci Int. 2023 Nov;352:111849. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111849. Epub 2023 Sep 27. PMID: 37783138.
14. Sharma S, Agarwal A, Khan AM, Ingle GK. Prevalence of Dog Bites in Rural and Urban Slums of Delhi: A Community-based Study. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2016 Mar-Apr;6(2):115-9. doi: 10.4103/2141-9248.181836. PMID: 27213095; PMCID: PMC4866364.
15. Leblanc C, Kassié D, Ranaivoharimina M, Rakotomanana EFN, Mangahasimbola RT, Randrianarijaona A, Ramiandrasoa R, Nely AJ, Razafindraibe NP, Andriamandimby SF, Ranoaritiana DB, Rajaonarivony V, Randrianasolo L, Baril L, Mattern C, Ratovoson R, Guis H. Mixed methods to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards rabies in central and remote communities of Moramanga district, Madagascar. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Mar 29;18(3):e0012064. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012064. PMID: 38551968; PMCID: PMC11006160.
16. Chen Q, Liu Q, Gong C, Yin W, Mu D, Li Y, Ding S, Liu Y, Yang H, Zhou S, Chen S, Tao Z, Zhang Y, Tang X. Strategies to inTerrupt RAbies Transmission for the Elimination Goal by 2030 In China (STRATEGIC): a modelling study. BMC Med. 2023 Mar 16;21(1):100. doi: 10.1186/s12916-023-02821-x. PMID: 36927437; PMCID: PMC10022085.
17. Bashir K, Haq I, Khan SMS, Qurieshi MA. One-year descriptive analysis of patients treated at an anti-rabies clinic-A retrospective study from Kashmir. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Aug 25;14(8):e0007477. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007477. PMID: 32841227; PMCID: PMC7473535.
18. Baslington-Davies A, Howell H, Hogue TE, Mills DS. An Assessment of Scientific Evidence Relating to the Effect of Early Experience on the Risk of Human-Directed Aggression by Adult Dogs. Animals (Basel). 2023 Jul 17;13(14):2329. doi: 10.3390/ani13142329. PMID: 37508106; PMCID: PMC10376210.
19. Saleem SM, Jan SS, Khan SMS. Qualitative analysis of the perception of street dog bite victims and implication for the prevention of dog bites at a teaching hospital anti-rabies Clinic. J Family Med Prim Care. 2020 Aug 25;9(8):4118-4126. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_522_20. PMID: 33110819; PMCID: PMC7586553.
20. Cherian V, Dugg P, Khan AM. Prevalence of Pet Dog Ownership in an Urban Colony of East Delhi and Awareness Regarding Canine Zoonotic Diseases and Responsible Pet Ownership among Dog Owners. Indian J Community Med. 2020 Jan-Mar;45(1):89-91. doi: 10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_281_19. PMID: 32029991; PMCID: PMC6985952.
21. National Centre for Disease Control. National action plan for dog mediated rabies elimination from India by 2030 [Internet]. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; 2024 [cited 2024 Jun 16]. Available from: https://www.google.com/search
22. Li X, Liu L, Yang C, Jiang B, He X, Xiong A, Yan H. Dog bite-induced necrosis of lymph nodes: A case report and literature review. IDCases. 2023 Jul 24;33:e01852. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01852. PMID: 37559970; PMCID: PMC10407729.
23. Maurer M, Schlipköter C, Gottsauner M, Waiss W, Meier JK, Fiedler M, Schuderer JG, Taxis J, Reichert TE, Ettl T. Animal Bite Injuries to the Face: A Retrospective Evaluation of 111 Cases. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 6;12(21):6942. doi: 10.3390/jcm12216942. PMID: 37959407; PMCID: PMC10649818.
24. Miyawaki M, Ogawa K, Kamada K, Karashima T, Abe M, Takumi Y, Hashimoto T, Osoegawa A, Sugio K. Tracheal injury from dog bite in a child. J Cardiothorac Surg. 2023 Jan 16;18(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13019-023-02107-6. PMID: 36647124; PMCID: PMC9841626.
25. Bay V, Shirzadi MR, Jafari Sirizi M, Asl IM. Animal bites management in Northern Iran: Challenges and solutions. Heliyon. 2023 Jul 27;9(8):e18637. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18637. PMID: 37554820; PMCID: PMC10404659.
26. McCain JE, Bridgmon AE, King WD, Monroe K. Children's injury database: development of an injury surveillance system in a pediatric emergency department. Inj Epidemiol. 2023 Jul 31;10(Suppl 1):40. doi: 10.1186/s40621-023-00443-8. PMID: 37525256; PMCID: PMC10391750.
27. Huang D, Jia W, Li K, Liu Z, Liu L. Establishment of an Animal Model of Dog Bite Injuries. Int J Med Sci. 2024 Mar 31;21(5):958-964. doi: 10.7150/ijms.94432. PMID: 38617003; PMCID: PMC11008484.
28. Daigle L, Ravel A, Lévesque F, Mokoush KN, Rondenay Y, Simon A, Aenishaenslin C. Barriers and opportunities for improving dog bite prevention and dog management practices in northern Indigenous communities. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Sep 19;10:1199576. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1199576. PMID: 37795013; PMCID: PMC10546191.
29. Gogtay NJ, Nagpal A, Mallad A, Patel K, Stimpson SJ, Belur A, Thatte UM. Demographics of animal bite victims & management practices in a tertiary care institute in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Indian J Med Res. 2014 Mar;139(3):459-62. PMID: 24820842; PMCID: PMC4069742.
30. Pattnaik P, Mahal A, Mishra S, Alkhouri A, Mohapatra RK, Kandi V. Alarming Rise in Global Rabies Cases Calls for Urgent Attention: Current Vaccination Status and Suggested Key Countermeasures. Cureus. 2023 Dec 13;15(12):e50424. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50424. PMID: 38222131; PMCID: PMC10784771.
How to Cite
Verma, M., Kumarasamy AP, Vada, S., & Manna, R. (2025). Aware Today for a Safe Tomorrow: Understanding Dog Bites as a Public Health Concern. Public Health Review: International Journal of Public Health Research, 12(1), 26-34. Retrieved from https://publichealth.medresearch.in/index.php/ijphr/article/view/194
Section
Review Article
Copyright (c) 2025 Author (s). Published by Siddharth Health Research and Social Welfare Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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