KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF RESIDENTS IN 2 AREAS OF MASSACHUSETTS ABOUT RABIES AND AN ORAL VACCINATION PROGRAM IN WILDLIFE

Objective-To compare public knowledge and attitudes about rabies and a n oral rabies vaccination program in raccoons. Design-Random-digit dia l telephone survey. Sample Population-Residents of 2 areas of Massachu setts. Procedure-Residents of 2 areas of Massachusetts were called to participate in a telephone survey. One area (Cape Ann) included 8 town s, most of which have had rabies in raccoons since 1993. The second ar ea (Cape Cod) included 7 towns, 5 of which have not had rabies in racc oons. Calls were made to 642 persons, and of these, 265 agreed to part icipate in the survey. Of the nonrespondents who were subsequently con tacted again, half agreed to participate. Data were analyzed using a s tatistical program. Fisher's exact and chi(2) tests were used to deter mine associations. Results-Residents from the area virtually free of r abies in raccoons were significantly less likely to consider rabies as a potential health threat for children in their household. The percep tion of rabies as a threat was higher for residents in the endemic are a. Residents in both areas considered rabies control to be a high prio rity and supported use of state funding for an oral vaccination progra m. Clinical Implications-People recognize dangers associated with rabi es and believe that oral vaccination programs will decrease the risk o f exposure.