Int J Med. Public Health. 2021; 11(2):108-112. A Multifaceted Peer Reviewed Journal in the feld of Medicine and Public Health www.ijmedph.org | www.journalonweb.com/ijmedph Original Article International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol 11, Issue 2, Apr-Jun, 2021 108 Oluwafemi Adedayo Adetayo 1, *, Olusade Cecilia Adetayo 2 , Sulaimon Adisa Koleosho 1 , Dayo Omodele Adeyemo 3 , Oluropo Michael Obafemi 4 , Tolulope Ademola Olakojo 5 1 Department of Animal Health Technology, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation Ibadan, Park in Ibadan, NIGERIA. 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine-College of Medicine Research Collaborative Center, University of Ibadan, NIGERIA. 3 Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, ZAMBIA. 4 Department of Veterinary Laboratory Technology, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation Ibadan, Park in Ibadan, NIGERIA. 5 Livestock Improvement Programme, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Obafemi Awolowo University, Moor Plantation Ibadan, Park in Ibadan, NIGERIA. Correspondence Dr. Oluwafemi Adedayo Adetayo Department of Animal Health Technology, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation Ibadan, Park in Ibadan, NIGERIA. Mobile no: +2348030775974 Email: ibvirology@gmail.com History • Submission Date: 12-12-2020; • Revised Date: 26-01-2021; • Accepted Date: 03-03-2021; DOI : 10.5530/ijmedph.2021.2.19 Article Available online http://www.ijmedph.org/v11/i2 Copyright © 2021 Phcog.Net. This is an open- access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Cite this article : Adetayo OA, Adetayo OC, Koleosho SA, Adeyemo DO, Obafemi OM, Olakojo TA. Prevalence of Rabies Pre-exposure Vaccination and Risk Perception among Veterinary Students at the University of Ibadan- A Cross Sectional Survey. Int J Med Public Health. 2021;11(2):108-12. ABSTRACT Background: It is often mandatory for veterinarians and clinical veterinary students to receive rabies pre-exposure vaccination being among the occupational at risk group. The practice of encouraging veterinary students to receive rabies pre-exposure vaccination has the advantage of ensuring their safety during their clinical training and practice. The study examined the prevalence of rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis and rabies risk perception among veterinary students at the University of Ibadan. Materials and Methods: A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from registered 325 veterinary students across all levels of study at 45 students per level of study using stratifed random sampling method. Social Science Statistical Package 21 was used to analyze results. Results was presented as means, frequencies and percentages. Results: The mean age of respondents was 22.81±4.67 years with 51.3% being male and 91.9% was single. The prevalence of rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis was extremely low, 18.6%. Rabies risk perception was slightly high 62.5% among the respondents. Level of study and previous dog bite injury were statistically signifcant for rabies risk perception. Conclusion: There was non-compliance with the WHO recommendation that individuals at risk of rabies due to their occupational exposure should receive rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis. The University administration and Veterinary Council of Nigeria should make it known to be a policy for the clinical veterinary students. Key words: Rabies, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, Risk perception, Veterinary students, University of Ibadan. Prevalence of Rabies Pre-exposure Vaccination and Risk Perception among Veterinary Students at the University of Ibadan- A Cross Sectional Survey Oluwafemi Adedayo Adetayo 1, *, Olusade Cecilia Adetayo 2 , Sulaimon Adisa Koleosho 1 , Dayo Omodele Adeyemo 3 , Oluropo Michael Obafemi 4 , Tolulope Ademola Olakojo 5 INTRODUCTION Rabies is an infectious disease that is common in more than 150 countries and territories, with the greater risk of infection in Asia and Africa. 1 Globally canine-mediated rabies causes around sixty-thousand humans deaths/ per annum, out of which about twenty-four thousand are contributed by African cases. 1 Te World Health Organization (WHO. 2018) detailed that the disease kills tens of thousands of individuals every year. 2 Every year, there are an estimated 60 000 fatal cases of rabies around the world, with almost 99% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. 3 Additionally, it is a dangerous disease generally transmitted to people through bites and licks from infected animals, for the most part from domestic dogs. 1-3 Rabies is one amongst the Neglected Tropical Infections that transcendently impacts poor and powerless populations who stay in rural areas. About 80% of human cases happen in rural regions. 4 In 1912, Nigeria announced its frst case of rabies. 5 It is a persistent endemic issue as 10,000 yearly human cases are accounted for, in Nigeria only. 5 Te disease keeps on being signifcant scourge of cats and dogs plateau state and Nigeria as a whole despite several attempts to control it. 5 While considerable advancement has been made in the control and prevention of rabies, the rabies virus remains prevalent at high levels in dogs, in many regions. Dog vaccination is the most cost-efective way to prevent humans and livestock from transmitting the disease in regions where canine rabies is endemic. 6 Nonetheless; signifcant underreporting of rabies cases implies that the real number of death is probably going to be higher. Poor and provincial populaces are excessively infuenced, with the majority of deaths occurring in children younger than 15 years in Asia and Africa. 6 Rabies is an avoidable yet deadly disease that is liable for around 59,000 death per year. 7 Despite the endemic nature of the disease, the exact severity of the disease remains unclear. Te disease has recently acquired a huge public interest of which a few endeavors were made by the public authority to evaluate the extent of the problem through mass immunization progrogrammes, surveillance