SUMMARY
Introduction: Rabies is common in most parts of India. The incidence of animal bite in India is 17.4 per 1000 population. Although cases of animal bite constitute a problem of considerable magnitude, not all the victims seek medical help. There is a need to create awareness regarding epidemiology and at-home management of animal bites among general community. Objective: To determine profile of animal bite cases attending a Pune Municipal Corporation Dispensary. Material and Methods: A Cross Sectional Study carried out in one of the randomly selected Pune Municipal Corporation Dispensaries. A total of 300 animal bite cases were included as study subjects. Data collection was done by structured interview technique and was entered into Microsoft Excel Sheet for statistical analysis. Results: Of total 300 animal bite cases, 73% were males. Most of the cases belonged to age group of 16-30 years. Common biting animal was dog (81%). 64% biting animals were stray. Lower limbs was most common site(58%) of animal bite and majority (73%) had category III bite. 49% cases lacked disease knowledge and were suggested by others to seek treatment . Conclusion: About one third of cases seek health care facility after one day of bite. Few cases practiced non recommended substances on biting site. Although Rabies is a highly preventable disease by virtue of post expose prophylaxis and immediate wound treatment, there is a big gap in knowledge and practice among the general public with regards to the same.