Community Perception on Rabies Prevention and Control Among the General Population in Puducherry: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Rabies, a deadly viral disease transmitted through animal bites, poses a significant public health challenge in many regions, including Puducherry. Effective prevention and control rely heavily on community awareness and perception. Understanding how the general population perceives rabies risk and prevention strategies is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions. Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic profile and to assess community perceptions of rabies prevention and control among the general population in Puducherry. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study, conducted in the rural and urban Puducherry region from October 2023 to December 2023. A total of 200 individuals were chosen from rural and urban Puducherry regions using a systematic random sampling technique. Individuals over 18 years of age residing in both rural and urban areas of Puducherry were included in the study. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data and entered in MS Excel 2019. Chi-square test was applied to test the difference in knowledge between urban and rural. Results: The majority of the study participants belonged to the age group of 18-29 years (55%), 152 were males and 48 were females. Most of the participants (99%) heard about Rabies and their source of knowledge about Rabies was from Doctors (40.5%), Newspapers & Media (39.5%), and Friends (19.0%). Approximately 82.5% of participants were aware of how rabies is transmitted, while 78.5% understood the signs of the disease. Conclusion: Education plays a significant role in the awareness of rabies as most participants were educated at least up to the primary level in the current study. According to our findings, clear gaps exist in rural people's understanding and attitudes toward rabies prevention and control.