Désiré TCHOFFO1, Joseph KAMGNO2, Sévilor KEKENOU3, Callixte YADUFASHIJE4 , Hugues Clotaire NANA DJEUNGA2, Armand Séraphin NKWESCHEU1
1Cameroon Society of epidemiology (CaSE) ; 2Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT), Yaoundé, Cameroon ; 3University of yaounde1 ; 4Institut d'enseignement supérieur de ruhengeri (INES)
CaHReF 2018, Yaoundé Congres hall, 08 – 11 January 2019 , OSEP030
Background: In Cameroon, since the first epidemiological week of the year 2015, snake bites have been part of Potential Epidemic Diseases (PED). In the Centre Region (Cameroon), the most densely populated Region of the country, weekly reports of snake bites by health districts allow for monthly data updates.
Objectif: To determine the epidemiological profile of snakebites and the impact of therapeutic itinerary on victims in Central Region
Methodolody: To contribute to the better management of snake bite cases, an observational study of the epidemiological profile was conducted in the Centre Region of Cameroon. A semi-structured interview was administered to victims and caregivers, and was focused on socio-economic characteristics, circumstances of time and privileged places of occurrence of snake bites, the observed symptomatology, type of therapeutic itinerary and the prognosis of patients. The results were confronted with those of the weekly epidemiological surveillance system, recorded in the PED regional data base.
Results:The comparative analysis of the data suggested a high rate of non-reporting of cases (62.0%). The incidence of bites was relatively high (50 bites per 100,000 inhabitants), as well as the general attack rate (about 15 envenomations per 100,000 inhabitants). The lethality recorded was 2.5% and the mortality was 0.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants a year. The sex ratio was largely female biased. The bites occurred mostly in the rainy season (73.0%). Bitten victims were mainly farmers (47.4%), and agricultural activities were responsible for 50.0% of registered accidents. The prior recourse to practitioners decreased (61.0%).
Conclusion/Recommandation:Snake bites is an endemic condition in the Centre Region of Cameroon. As a consequence of the high rate of non-reporting of cases, the collection of information from the registers of the health facilities of modern medicine only would not be enough to assess the importance of envenomations in this Region.
Key Words:Epidemiological profile, snakebites, envenomation, Centre-Cameroon