Publicación:

Epidemiología de agresiones de animales en el manejo integrado de la rabia en el municipio de Santa Marta, 2012-2018.

Resumen

Rabies is an acute viral infection causing encephalitis and meningoencephalitis, which affects most warm-blooded animals, including man. Objective: To analyze the epidemiological behavior of aggressions by animals in the integrated management of rabies in the municipality of Santa Marta. Materials and methods: A retrospective, descriptive and analytical study with the information reported in the program of integrated human rabies surveillance of the Ministry of Health of Colombia - SIVIGILA, for the municipality of Santa Marta, during the period 2012 - 2018. 6009 reports were used for the event code 300, file in which the attacks, contacts and exposures by animals potentially transmitting the rabies virus are reported, analyzing the different variables; animal species aggressor, age and sex of the attacked, seasonality, type of aggressions, type of injury, depth and whether it was caused or not, as well as the area of occurrence of the event. Results: In 84.92% of cases the aggressor animal was the dog, followed in 12.63% by cats; a lower number of attacks were caused by primates (0.92%), and small rodents (0.35%), the incidence rate of AAPTR per 100,000 inhabitants / year, showed a steady steady increase, in periods of 3 years. It was evidenced by grouping the cases into five-year-olds, that the greatest number of attacks occurred in two age groups: from 5 to 9 (18.44%) and from 10 to 14 years (12.78%). Unprovoked aggression occurred in a higher percentage (55.06%), as was the single (64.94%) and superficial lesion (83.49%). The highest area of occurrence for the AAPTRs was reported in the municipal seat with an average of 95.51% of the total reported cases. The event's endemic corridor showed that its behavior during the 2018 period is located within the security zone. Conclusions: The number of attacks on children and young people is an alert for the program of integrated rabies surveillance and the community of Santa Marta. The irresponsible possession of pets and wild animals, in the cities, must be intervened by the police, administrative and environmental authorities that have within their functions to guarantee the protection of both animals and human populations, because this type of possession, It is presented as a risk factor in the AAPTR.