{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T07:34:20Z","timestamp":1777275260919,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,1]],"date-time":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1583020800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding rabies in the El Jadida region, Morocco. We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire among randomly selected residents across 24 study sites. In total, 407 respondents took part in the survey. The majority (367, 92%) were male and had no formal education (270, 66%). Some (118, 29%) believed that rabies does not affect humans. Most respondents (320, 79%) were aware that vaccination could prevent rabies, but nevertheless did not vaccinate their dogs (264, 64.9%) and allowed their dogs to roam freely in search of food. Some (52.8%) would visit traditional healers for treatment in the event of a dog bite incident. Age and educational level were found to be significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices (p &lt; 0.05). Although respondents demonstrated some level of knowledge about rabies, overall this study reveals critical gaps in their attitudes and practices. These shortcomings may be associated with a low level of education. Therefore, decision-makers need a new approach to control rabies, with a special focus on public awareness and health education, in order to sustain rabies control programs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci7010029","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,3]],"date-time":"2020-03-03T03:13:28Z","timestamp":1583205208000},"page":"29","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Rabies in El Jadida Region, Morocco"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Khadija","family":"Bouaddi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Provincial Veterinary Service of El Jadida, National Food Safety Office, ONSSA, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"},{"name":"Nutritional Physiopathology and Toxicology Team, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abdelali","family":"Bitar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutritional Physiopathology and Toxicology Team, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Bouslikhane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine Hassan II, BP 6202, Rabat-Instituts, Rabat 10000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abdesslam","family":"Ferssiwi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutritional Physiopathology and Toxicology Team, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aziz","family":"Fitani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Private Veterinarian, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6834-1456","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Philip Paul","family":"Mshelbwala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja 900001, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tvjl.2014.10.026","article-title":"Terrestrial rabies control in the European Union: Historical achievements and challenges ahead","volume":"203","author":"Freuling","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vet. 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