What is the incidence of rabies?

People are generally very susceptible to rabies because most people have poor physical resistance. In addition, some people often keep animals, and the animals may be bitten by other animals, which can lead to indirect transmission of rabies. The incidence of rabies is also very high, and it is many times higher in males than in females. Most cases occur in people under the age of 14.

What is the incidence of rabies?

People are generally susceptible to rabies, but different groups of people have different chances of infection. There are more males than females, and more people are under 14 years old, accounting for about 52% of the total. Among people under 14 years old, the male to female ratio is 2.37:1.

The reason why the number of male bites is higher than that of female bites is that it is generally believed that males are more active, have more opportunities to go out, and are more likely to be bitten. Children between the ages of 5 and 14, especially boys, are active and love to play with dogs, tease dogs, and provoke provocations, so they are easily bitten. This age group is also called the "trouble age" and is prone to rabies.

The morbidity after being bitten by a mad dog or other animal is related to the following six factors:

(1) It depends on the part of the body that was bitten. Among children aged 1-14 years old who were bitten, the incidence of bite sites was as follows: head accounted for 25.6%, upper limbs accounted for 29.7%, trunk accounted for 2.1%, lower limbs accounted for 27.8%, and multiple bites accounted for 14.8%. The highest incidence rates are found on the head and limbs.

(2) It is related to the order in which the bites occur. Those who are bitten first are more likely to get sick than those who are bitten later, which may be related to the amount of virus infected. For example, a rabid dog in a certain place bit 12 people, among whom the first three people bitten became ill and died.

(3) It is related to the depth and number of wounds. The incidence rate is high when the wounds are deep, large and numerous.

(4) Related to whether or not one is wearing clothes. The incidence rate is highest among those who do not wear clothes; compared with wearing cotton clothes in winter, the incidence rate of those who wear single clothes in summer is higher. This is because the virus-contaminated teeth and saliva enter the wound after being wiped by clothes, reducing the chance of infection.

(5) It is related to whether the wound is treated promptly. The incidence rate is significantly lower for wounds that are treated promptly than for those that are not.

(6) Related to vaccination. The incidence rate is lowest among those who receive rabies vaccine on time on the day of being bitten and follow the full course of vaccination regulations.