Epidemiological study on the incidence of rabies in holy Karbala Governorate: 2020 to 2024

Abstract

Rabies is a zoonotic disease with a global prevalence, affecting both humans and animals. Due to the importance of the disease, this topic was selected to understand the epidemiology of rabies and its relation to certain demographic characteristics. Data were collected from the years 2020 to 2024 from the (CDD) Communicable Diseases Division in Karbala Governorate. The statistics included (number of cases, age, sex, infection during the months of the year, and residential areas). The results revealed that the total number of rabies cases for both sexes was (2217) with (1247) cases in males by (56.25%) while (970) cases in females by (43.75%). This result shows that the infection rate in females is lower than in males. It was observed that the highest number of infections occurred in the years 2022 and 2023, with (545 and 537) cases, respectively, representing by (24.582%) and (24.221%). The lowest number of infections was recorded in (2024) in number (322) cases, representing by (14.524%). The highest infection rates in age groups were observed in adolescents and young adults (10-14) years and (15-19) years, while the lowest infection rates were seen in very young children (1-4) years and the elderly (≥ 65 years). A clear variation was noted between urban and rural areas, with higher infection rates in rural areas compared to urban areas.