A Study to Assess Knowledge regarding Rabies and Management of Dog Bites in selected school of Pathanamthitta District with a view to Develop an Information Booklet

Background of the Study: Rabies is a viral zoonotic neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the rabies virus belonging to the Rhabdoviridae family. It is a vaccine-preventable disease occurring in more than 150 countries and territories. Therefore this study was conducted to assess the knowledge regarding rabies and management of dog bite in selected school in Pathanamthitta district with a view to develop an informative booklet. A descriptive research design was used for the study. Sixty students from a selected school in Pathanamthitta district were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Baseline variables and knowledge level of rabies and management of dog bite were assessed using baseline performa and a structured knowledge questionnaire on rabies and management of dog bite. Analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Knowledge regarding rabies and management of dog bite in selected school in Pathanamthitta district were assessed using frequency and percentage. Chi-square test was used to assess the association between knowledge score and selected baseline variables. The study findings revealed that only 1.60% of students have good knowledge, 85% have average knowledge, and 13.30% have poor knowledge regarding rabies and management of dog bite.