Dr. Zerihun AsefaDr: Haileleul NegussieTadesse Debele2024-11-252024-11-252024https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/3677Rabies is an important viral zoonotic disease with a high fatality rate and sever economic impact. Epidemiological information can play an important role in the control and prevention of rabies. The current study investigated the spatio-temporal patterns of rabies and associated risk factors in humans and livestock. In addition, estimates the economic burden of rabies and assesses the community’s knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) and their determinants. A retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023, and data was collected from selected health centers, monthly reports of offices, and questionnaire surveys from selected districts of the south-west Shewa zone, namely Kersa Malima and Sodo Dachi. Out of the 506 respondents interviewed, 23.32% of them were females, and about 80.0% of them had their own dogs. Almost 94.07% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode of transmission of rabies. Moreover, 41.9% had a good level of knowledge, 63.24% had a good level of positive attitude, and 17.78% had a good level of rabies prevention practices. A total of 345 cases of human rabies exposure were reported from 2019 to 2023 in this zone. The incidence of human rabies exposure cases was 6.07, 6.99, 4.36, 3.11, and 4.0 per 100,000 population from 2019 to 2023, respectively. The age group of 5 to 14 years old was highly exposed (31.93%). A larger number of human rabies exposures were reported in males (62.2%). The results of the spatio-temporal analysis identified Kersa Malima, Sodo Dachi, and Weliso districts as hot spots. Strong peaks of human rabies cases occurred in May and August. The estimated total economic impact of canine rabies was over USD 0.41 million. The largest portion of impacts (98.6%) were made up of Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP)-related costs from the total cost of prevention. The findings of this study indicated that preventive measures considering socio-demographic factors can be targeted to high-risk areas for effective control of rabies. Further studies are needed to develop effective strategies for hotspot areas.en-USDogEconomic impactVETERINARY MEDICINE::Veterinary epidemiologyHumanLivestockRabies.Thesis