Table 3.
Characteristics of potential human exposures to rabies by age group and percentage of the total in each group, Nunavik 2008–2017
| Variables | Age groups | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | [0–4] | [5-14] | [15-34] | [35+] | NA | |||||||
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Sex | ||||||||||||
| Male | 198 | 61.9 | 16 | 53.3 | 56 | 50.9 | 84 | 73.7 | 41 | 67.2 | 2 | 20.0 |
| Female | 120 | 37.5 | 14 | 46.7 | 54 | 49.1 | 30 | 26.3 | 20 | 32.8 | 1 | 40.0 |
| NA | 2 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40.0 |
| Exposure type | ||||||||||||
| Bite | 244 | 76.2 | 26 | 86.6 | 81 | 73.6 | 87 | 76.3 | 46 | 75.4 | 4 | 80.0 |
| Percutaneous | 8 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4.5 | 2 | 1.8 | 1 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mucous | 16 | 5 | 2 | 6.7 | 4 | 3.6 | 8 | 7.0 | 2 | 3.3 | 0 | 0 |
| NA | 52 | 16.2 | 2 | 6.7 | 20 | 18.2 | 17 | 14.9 | 12 | 19.7 | 1 | 20.0 |
| Exposure site | ||||||||||||
| Disseminated | 15 | 4.7 | 2 | 6.7 | 4 | 3.6 | 3 | 2.6 | 6 | 9.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Lower limbs | 67 | 20.9 | 5 | 16.7 | 24 | 21.8 | 22 | 19.3 | 16 | 26.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Upper limbs | 77 | 24.1 | 6 | 20.0 | 24 | 21.8 | 36 | 31.6 | 11 | 18.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Head and neck | 32 | 10 | 7 | 23.3 | 15 | 13.6 | 8 | 7.0 | 2 | 3.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Trunk | 3 | 0.9 | 1 | 3.3 | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 |
| NA | 126 | 39.4 | 9 | 30.0 | 42 | 38.2 | 45 | 39.5 | 25 | 41.0 | 5 | 100 |
| Animal type | ||||||||||||
| Dog | 293 | 91.6 | 30 | 100 | 102 | 92.7 | 101 | 88.6 | 55 | 90.2 | 5 | 100 |
| Other | 23 | 7.2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4.5 | 12 | 10.5 | 6 | 9.8 | 0 | 0 |
| NA | 4 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.7 | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PEP | ||||||||||||
| Recommended | 99 | 30.9 | 7 | 23.3 | 27 | 24.5 | 34 | 29.8 | 28 | 45.9 | 3 | 60.0 |
| Not recommended | 133 | 41.6 | 16 | 53.3 | 41 | 37.3 | 56 | 49.1 | 20 | 32.8 | 0 | 0 |
| NA | 88 | 27.5 | 7 | 23.3 | 42 | 38.2 | 24 | 21.1 | 13 | 21.3 | 2 | 40.0 |
| Exposure season | ||||||||||||
| Winter | 65 | 20.3 | 3 | 10.0 | 25 | 22.7 | 24 | 21.1 | 11 | 18.0 | 2 | 40.0 |
| Spring | 80 | 25 | 9 | 30.0 | 25 | 22.7 | 30 | 26.3 | 16 | 26.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Summer | 93 | 29.1 | 11 | 36.7 | 33 | 30.0 | 34 | 29.8 | 14 | 23.0 | 1 | 20.0 |
| Autumn | 81 | 25.3 | 6 | 20.0 | 27 | 24.5 | 26 | 22.8 | 20 | 32.8 | 2 | 40.0 |
| NA | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 3.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exposure day | ||||||||||||
| Weekday | 237 | 74.1 | 19 | 63.3 | 85 | 77.3 | 87 | 76.3 | 42 | 68.9 | 4 | 80.0 |
| Weekend | 83 | 25.9 | 11 | 36.7 | 25 | 22.7 | 27 | 23.7 | 19 | 31.1 | 1 | 20.0 |
| NA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Animal test result | ||||||||||||
| Positive | 15 | 4.7 | 1 | 3.3 | 2 | 1.8 | 10 | 8.8 | 2 | 3.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Negative | 210 | 65.6 | 19 | 63.3 | 72 | 65.5 | 74 | 64.9 | 41 | 67.2 | 4 | 80 |
| NA | 89 | 27.8 | 10 | 33.3 | 33 | 30.0 | 28 | 24.6 | 17 | 27.9 | 1 | 20 |
| N/App | 6 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.7 | 2 | 1.8 | 1 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exposure circumstancesa | ||||||||||||
| Play/ communication | 26 | 17.1 | 7 | 43.8 | 12 | 21.8 | 5 | 10.2 | 1 | 3.6 | 1 | 25.0 |
| Reaction | 59 | 38.8 | 5 | 31.2 | 16 | 29.1 | 25 | 51.0 | 12 | 42.9 | 1 | 25.0 |
| Aggression/ predation | 10 | 6.6 | 2 | 12.5 | 3 | 5.5 | 1 | 2.0 | 4 | 14.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Inconclusive | 51 | 33.6 | 1 | 6.2 | 24 | 43.6 | 16 | 32.7 | 10 | 35.7 | 0 | 0 |
| N/App | 6 | 3.9 | 1 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4.1 | 1 | 3.6 | 2 | 50.0 |
aCases including dogs only (N= 152)