Trade Dog-Dog Meat Processors Interface in Rabies Transmission

Abstract

Consumption of dog meat is a common practice in some parts of Nigeria, particularly in Plateau State, and dog trade is a thriving business with dog markets in many local government areas of the state. There are reports of the presence of rabies antigen in the brains of slaughtered dogs. This study was carried out to determine the presence of rabies antigens in slaughtered dogs for human consumption, assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of dog meat processors to rabies and check for the presence of rabies antibodies in dog meat processors in Plateau state which could indicate evidence of infection during processing of dog meat. Two hundred and three dog heads were purchased from dogs slaughtered in Jos south (“Kasuwan kare”), Kanke (Amper and Dawaki) and Shendam Local Government Areas (LGA) of Plateau State to detect the presence of rabies antigens using fluorescent antibody test. Structured and pretested questionnaires were administered to 92 dog meat processors that participated in the study in order to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice towards rabies. Serum samples obtained from the 92 dog meat processors were processed for antibodies to rabies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of the 203 dog brain samples, 10 (4.93%) were positive for rabies antigen. Following the interviews, 74% of the respondents had good knowledge about rabies, 87% of the respondents had positive attitude toward rabies and 88% of the respondents had good practice towards rabies control and prevention. Despite having good knowledge about rabies, it was observed that some dog meat processors did not wear hand gloves, face masks and eye goggles when processing dog meat. Thirteen (14%) of the dog meat processors had antibodies to rabies virus. It can be concluded that the rabies antigen was present in some of the dogs slaughtered for human consumption and even though dog meat processors had good knowledge about rabies, they did not protect themselves when processing dog meat and some of them may have been exposed to the rabies virus. Dog meat processors should be educated on how they are to protect themselves against exposure to rabies during dog meat processing.