Demography of dog butchers, associated practices and potentials for rabies exposure in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Introduction : rabies is endemic in Nigeria though often under reported. The virus has been reported in apparent healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption without ante-mortem or post-mortem inspection. The saliva and brain tissue of rabid dogs have been documented to contain high concentration of rabies antigens. Methods : eleven dog markets and slaughter areas in six Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria, were selected for a cross sectional study, using convenience sampling method. Dog markets and premises where dogs were slaughtered on daily basis were selected for the study. Questionnaire was designed to elicit responses on demographic profile and practices of butchers. This was administered to 105 dog butchers who consented to participate in the study. Data were evaluated based on percentages using statistical package for social sciences software version 17. Results : most (98.1%, 103/105) of the butchers were males and aged between 21 - 40 years (90%). Some 6.8% (7/103) had tertiary education while 77.1% completed secondary school. Some 95.2% (100/105) of the butchers were once bitten by a dog and bite wounds were treated traditionally by application of pulled hairs of the biting dog on the bite wound. They all agreed they knew what rabies was, but butchering was often performed without precautionary measures against rabies. Conclusion : there is high involvement of young unemployed and under-employed men in dog butchering business despite the potential risk of rabies exposure among dog meat processors who work without precautionary measures. There is need for awareness campaign about non-bite transmission risk of rabies exposure among occupationally engaged individuals.