Public knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding rabies in Palestine: a cross-sectional survey, 2025

Rabies remains a major public health concern in many parts of the world, including Palestine. Although preventable through vaccination and timely post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), rabies continues to cause preventable deaths, particularly in disadvantaged populations. This study aims to assess public knowledge, awareness, and practices related to rabies prevention in Palestine.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to August 2025, involving 417 Palestinian adults (≥18 years) from urban and rural areas. A structured, self-administered, pre-validated questionnaire was used to assess awareness, knowledge, and practices related to rabies prevention. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze the data.

While 89.0% of respondents had heard of rabies, only 42.3% achieved satisfactory knowledge (≥50% correct answers), with significant gaps in understanding the viral etiology and preventive measures. The majority (83.2%) reported they would seek medical care following a dog bite; however, only 11.8% identified wound washing with soap and water as a key first-aid measure. A substantial portion of respondents (67.9%) perceived local veterinary services as inadequate. Knowledge was significantly associated with education level and age, with higher education correlating with better knowledge, while older adults had lower knowledge scores.

Despite high awareness of rabies, critical gaps in knowledge and practices remain in Palestine, particularly concerning transmission routes, prevention, and first-aid measures. Tailored educational campaigns are needed to address these gaps, focusing on the importance of timely wound care and PEP. Additionally, strengthening veterinary services and integrating a One Health approach will be essential to improve rabies prevention and control in Palestine.