Objective—
To compare public knowledge and attitudes about rabies and an oral rabies vaccination program in raccoons.
Design—
Random-digit dial telephone survey.
Sample Population—
Residents of 2 areas of Massachusetts.
Procedure—
Residents of 2 areas of Massachusetts were called to participate in a telephone survey. One area (Cape Ann) included 8 towns, most of which have had rabies in raccoons since 1993. The second area (Cape Cod) included 7 towns, 5 of which have not had rabies in raccoons. Calls were made to 642 persons, and of these, 265 agreed to participate in the survey. Of the nonrespondents who were subsequently contacted again, half agreed to participate. Data were analyzed using a statistical program. Fisher’s exact and χ2 tests were used to determine associations.
Results—
Residents from the area virtually free of rabies in raccoons were significantly less likely to consider rabies as a potential health threat for children in their household. The perception of rabies as a threat was higher for residents in the endemic area. Residents in both areas considered rabies control to be a high priority and supported use of state funding for an oral vaccination program.
Clinical Implications—
People recognize dangers associated with rabies and believe that oral vaccination programs will decrease the risk of exposure. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997;211:305–309)