Demographic and Ecological Survey of Dog Population in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria

Type Journal Article - ISRN Veterinary Science
Title Demographic and Ecological Survey of Dog Population in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria
Author(s)
Volume 2014
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
URL http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.veterinary.science/2014/806849.pdf
Abstract
Dog ecology is essential in understanding the distribution, structure, and population density of dogs and pattern of dog ownership
in any given area. A cross-sectional study was designed to study dog ecology in Aba, Abia state, Nigeria, from April to June 2013.
The study revealed that the 500 households surveyed possessed 5,823 individuals and 747 dogs, giving a dog to human ratio of 1 : 7.8;
hence dog population in Aba was estimated to be 68,121. About 495/747 (66.3%) of the dogs were exotic and 465/747 (62.2%) were
males. A total of 319/500 (63.8%) of the households had fences that restrained dog movement and there was no incidence of dog
bite in 447/500 (89.4%) of the households surveyed. There were statistical associations between vaccination against antirabies and
breeds of dogs (??2 = 79.8, df = 2, ?? < 0.005). Exotic breed (adjusted OR = 0.39; CI = 0.23–0.65) and local breed of dogs (adjusted
OR = 0.08; CI = 0.04–0.14) had less odds of being vaccinated as compared to crossbreed of dogs. About 126 dogs (2.5 dogs per
street) were estimated from street counts survey. The relative high dog to human ratio and low vaccination coverage of owned dogs
population pose public health concerns requiring adequate public health education and proper antirabies vaccination coverage of
dogs in the study area.

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