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Observational Study
. 2019 Aug 3;19(1):1040.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7363-3.

High snakebite underreporting rate in the Centre Region of Cameroon: an observational study

Désiré Tchoffo  1 , Joseph Kamgno  2   3 , Sévilor Kekeunou  4 , Callixte Yadufashije  5 , Hugues C Nana Djeunga  2   4 , Armand Séraphin Nkwescheu  6
Affiliations
Observational Study

High snakebite underreporting rate in the Centre Region of Cameroon: an observational study

Désiré Tchoffo et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: In Cameroon, since the first epidemiological week held in 2015, snakebites have been registered among Potential Epidemic Diseases (PED). In the Centre Region, the most densely populated of the country, weekly reports of snakebites are generated at health districts level for monthly data updates.

Methods: To contribute to the better management of snakebite cases, an observational study was conducted to assess the snakebite reporting rate in the Centre Region of Cameroon. The results of this retro-prospective survey were confronted to those of the weekly epidemiological surveillance system, recorded in the PED regional data base.

Results: The incidence of bites was relatively high (36.6 bites per 100,000 inhabitants), as well as the general attack rate (about 49 envenomations per 100 victims). The lethality recorded was 2.5% and the mortality was about 1 death per 100,000 inhabitants a year. The sex ratio was largely female biased (61.6%). The bites occurred mostly during the rainy season (73.0%). Bitten victims were mainly farmers (47.4%), and agriculture was the main risk factor. The comparative analysis of the data suggested a high non-reporting rate of snakebite cases (67.8%).

Conclusion: Snakebite is an endemic condition in the Centre Region of Cameroon. Because of the high rate of non-reporting of cases, the collection of information from the registers of the health facilities only appears not enough to assess the real importance of envenomation in this Region.

Keywords: Cameroon; Centre region; Epidemiological profile; Snakebites; Underreporting.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of snakebite victims according to their socio-occupational categories (a) and place where they were bitten (b)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Monthly and seasonal distribution of snakebite cases in the Centre Region
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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