Epidemiological Characteristics of Post-exposure Prophylaxis of Rabies in Varna Region for the Period 2014-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Rabies is a viral zoonosis still posing a significant threat to public health worldwide, especially in developing countries. The disease can be controlled by animal vaccination and appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis in humans administered in the earliest possible time.

AIM: To study and analyze animal-related injuries and post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies. Materials and methods: Between 2014 and 2018, a retrospective epidemiological study was conducted in Varna region, which in-cluded 1462 persons who suffered injuries from animals. The study was based on the official data in the annual analysis of the Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI) in Varna. The information was summarized, analyzed, and graphically illustrated. The results were statisti-cally analysed using SPSS v. 20 employing variational and comparative (χ2) analyses. The statistical significance level was set at p.