Assessment of Rabies Vaccination Coverage in Dogs in Makurdi, Benue State

This study assesses the rabies vaccination coverage in domestic dog populations in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, located in Nigeria's North Central geopolitical zone. Dog-mediated rabies remains a public health emergency in Nigeria, responsible for the majority of human rabies deaths on the continent, and mass dog vaccination to achieve herd immunity thresholds above 70 percent is the globally recommended control strategy. Using a cross-sectional survey design combining household interviews and random transect sampling, the study estimated the domestic dog population in four enumerated residential areas of Makurdi and determined the proportion of dogs with up-to-date rabies vaccination. A total of 420 households were surveyed, and 310 dogs were assessed for vaccination status through owner-reported history and physical examination of vaccination cards. Findings revealed an estimated vaccination coverage of 28 percent in the surveyed dog population, far below the 70 percent threshold required for herd immunity. The majority of dog owners (64%) cited lack of access to veterinary clinics and cost of vaccination as primary barriers. Free-roaming unowned dogs, estimated to constitute 35 percent of the total dog population, had negligible vaccination coverage. The study recommends centralised community dog vaccination campaigns, subsidised rabies vaccines for low-income dog owners, and targeted catch-and-vaccinate programmes for free-roaming dogs as priority interventions in Makurdi. Keywords: rabies, dog vaccination, Makurdi, coverage, public health.