Epidemiological patterns of animal bites in Yazd Province (central Iran) between 2013 and 2017

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological pattern of animal bites in Yazd Province, central Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 8 545 individuals with animal bites who were referred to the Yazd Province Rabies Treatment Center were investigated using the census method from April 2013 to March 2017. The variables included: demographic information, household living condition, the type of biting animals, the domesticated and wild animals, the time of biting based on year, the residence location (urban or rural), and the treatment status. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using Excel 2013, SPSS version 25 and Arc GIS 14.1 Software. Results: A total of 8 545 cases of animal bites were reported in Yazd province from 2013 to 2017. The most animal bites (with 4 253 case of bites) and the lowest animal bites (with 121 case of bites) occurred in Yazd and Bahabad district, respectively. The incidence of animal bites was 168.4 per 100 000 people during the five-year period. Most of cases (73.9%) occurred in urban areas. Dog and cat bites accounted for 47.6% and 47.4% of all cases, respectively. Most of animal bites were reported in the summer (29.4%). Sixty percent of the cases received incomplete treatments, while 40% of them received complete treatments. During this study, three positive cases of fatal rabies from dog bites were reported. Conclusions: The incidence of animal bites is high in Yazd province, and more patients are bitten by dog and cat. Hence, educational, preventive, and informative programs are required to reduce the incidence of animal bites.