Assessment of Community’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards Rabies in and around Jigjiga, Somali Region, Ethiopia

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the community in Jigjiga and its surroundings. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 2022. For this study, 384 individuals were participated. Of the respondents 68.2% were males. Of the participants 52.1% were secondary school.  Of the respondents, 87.2% had no dogs, and 69% had awareness of rabies. Of the participants, 73.7% said that only dog is affected by rabies, and about 50% understood the mode of transmission.  Majority (83.6%) knew that rabies is a fatal disease, and nearly 75% knew that rabies could be prevented by vaccination while 10.9% preferred holly water as a treatment. When they suspect a rabid dog, 86.2% suggested that they would kill the animal while 9.4% preferred to do nothing. There was a significant association between KAP score with occupation (χ2 = 107.24, p < 0.0001), educational status, (χ 2 = 284.4, p = 0.001), religion (χ 2 = 24.03, p = 0, 0001), residence (χ 2 = 154.654, p = 0.0001), age (χ 2 = 202.613, p < 0.0001), household size (χ 2 = 98.533, p = 0.0001) and dog ownership (χ 2 = 24.311, p = 0.0001).  In conclusion, this study showed that rabies was well-known in the study region. The KAP level of rabies in the community of Jigjiga was found to be good although there were still some gaps. The educational status and occupation of the respondents were found to have a scientific association with good KAP score. Increasing awareness programs and conducting regular prevention and control interventions were suggested.