<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Articles JournalTitle="Journal of Biostatistics and Epidemiology">
  <Article>
    <Journal>
      <PublisherName>Tehran University of Medical Sciences</PublisherName>
      <JournalTitle>Journal of Biostatistics and Epidemiology</JournalTitle>
      <Issn>2383-4196</Issn>
      <Volume>10</Volume>
      <Issue>3</Issue>
      <PubDate PubStatus="epublish">
        <Year>2025</Year>
        <Month>02</Month>
        <Day>09</Day>
      </PubDate>
    </Journal>
    <title locale="en_US">Epidemiology, clustering and spatial distribution of animal bites in Algeria</title>
    <FirstPage>360</FirstPage>
    <LastPage>373</LastPage>
    <AuthorList>
      <Author>
        <FirstName>Latifa</FirstName>
        <LastName>Bouguerra</LastName>
        <affiliation locale="en_US">Faculty of Mathematics, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algiers, Algeria</affiliation>
      </Author>
      <Author>
        <FirstName>Mohamed</FirstName>
        <LastName>L&#x2019;Hadj</LastName>
        <affiliation locale="en_US">Beni Messous University Hospital Centre, Ministry of Health, Algeria</affiliation>
      </Author>
      <Author>
        <FirstName>Schehrazad</FirstName>
        <LastName>SELMANE</LastName>
        <affiliation locale="en_US">Faculty of Mathematics, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene</affiliation>
      </Author>
    </AuthorList>
    <History>
      <PubDate PubStatus="received">
        <Year>2024</Year>
        <Month>06</Month>
        <Day>24</Day>
      </PubDate>
      <PubDate PubStatus="accepted">
        <Year>2024</Year>
        <Month>12</Month>
        <Day>04</Day>
      </PubDate>
    </History>
    <abstract locale="en_US">Introduction: Animals can transmit many viral and bacterial diseases through bites and saliva that can be potentially fatal to human. Rabies, one of these diseases, is rife in two-thirds of the world&#x2019;s countries. Algeria is not spared. This study was scoped to provide insight into the demography and epidemiology, spatial distribution and clustering patterns of animal bites in Algeria.
&#xD;

Methods: The global and local Moran's I were used to investigate geographic clustering patterns of animal bites in Algeria. The animal bites data provided by North West Health Region (NWHR) Observatory was analyzed to glean useful information.
&#xD;

Results: Over the past five decades, 1201 human rabies fatalities have been recorded in Algeria with a yearly average of 20 cases and a male predominance. As for 2017, a total of 116403 animal attacks were recorded. Dog bites accounted for 64.1% followed by cat bites for 30.5%. The rabies vaccine was practiced in 74% of cases and vaccine with rabies immune globulin in 26% cases. The incidence was estimated at 279 per 100000 inhabitants. The incidence of animal bites, dog and cat bites exhibited spatial autocorrelation globally; the Moran index values were 0.41, 0.43 and 0.60 respectively. Significant hot spots were located in Tell, and significant cold spots were located on Sahara and High-Plateaus. The analysis of the 21314 animal attacks reported in NWHR in 2019, showed that young children and men are the most-at-risk. Indeed, 71.3% were male and 58.7% occurred outdoors. Among the 8275 bites that occurred in children under 15 years, 66.8% were boys and 29.3% were children under 5 years. Most of the bites were Category II(45.7%) followed by Category III(38.6%).
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Conclusion: The current strategy needs to be reviewed, reformed and strengthened while promoting cross-sectoral work with a collaborative approach of all relevant sectors for a One Health initiative.</abstract>
    <web_url>https://jbe.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jbe/article/view/1463</web_url>
  </Article>
</Articles>
