P-158. Knowledge of Rabies Prevention Measures for Dog Bite Incidents in the Peruvian Population: Findings from a National Survey in 2022

Abstract Background Rabies continues to be a significant global zoonotic threat. In the last two decades, Peru has reported nine dog-transmitted rabies cases, including a preventable death in 2023. This study aimed to assess public knowledge of rabies prevention post-dog bites, focusing on sociodemographic disparities to better tailor future interventions.Figure 1.Factors associated with knowledge of the Rabies Preventive Triad of the Peruvian population, ENAPRESS 2022. Methods Utilizing data from the 2022 National Survey of Budget Programs, targeting Peruvians aged 14 and older through a stratified two-stage sampling across both urban and rural areas, this cross-sectional study included 89,655 adults who completed interviews on the rabies prevention triad (wound washing, biting animal identification, and medical consultation). The "Survey" package in R facilitated data analysis, acknowledging the complex design. Poisson regression was employed to explore sociodemographic disparities in knowledge. Results Out of 89,655 participants, the majority were women (53.7%), aged 30-59 (52.2%), and lived in urban areas (81.6%). The 6.5% displayed adequate knowledge of the rabies preventive triad, 45.7% indicated they would clean their wounds, 20.9% would identify the dog involved, and 86.7% would seek medical attention at a health facility. Regression models revealed better knowledge among older adults and the elderly (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.04; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.03-1.05), females (aPR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00-1.02), and those with higher educational levels. Highland residents showed greater knowledge than coastal ones (aPR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Conversely, Quechua ethnicity and rural residency were negatively associated with knowledge (aPR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96-0.98 and aPR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97-0.99, respectively) (Figure 1). Conclusion Despite the high frequency of dog bites in Peru, knowledge of rabies prevention is very low. Although limited by potential recall bias and its non-causal inference capacity, the study's strengths lie in its national scope and reliable data collection. The results underscore the urgency of targeted educational campaigns and policy enhancement in high-risk areas to boost community health and rabies prevention. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures