Potential Rabies Threat to Australia

A consecutive series of 800 mammalian bites is reported from The Canberra Hospital. Of these, 66% were dog bites; 119 children were bitten by dogs (requiring hospital attention) over a 30-month period, giving an average dog-bite rate for the total population of 184 per 100000 per year. One dog in 38 causes an injury requiring hospital attention. Thirty-seven per cent of the 119 children were bitten on the face and head, the modal age for this type of injury being three years. Ten per cent of cases required sutures. Each year, one person in 540 suffers from a dog-bite requiring hospital attention. If rabies became endemic, 26 000 antirabies immunization regimens would have to be undertaken annually for dog-bite alone, and a total of 38000 annually for mammalian bites of all types.