A study to verify the situation of rabies prophylaxis in the State of S.Paulo (Brazil) was made with a view to obtaining better guidance on the use of vaccines and anti-rabic serum. A total of 4,121 individual cards were analysed, in wich there was registered information about people who sought medical help at the 31 Sanitary Units of the Districts of Marília, Assis and Tupã during 1982 and 1983. The results showed: the inadequate filling-in of the cards; 84.1% of the accidents were provoked by animals of canine species; people between 5 and 14 years old were those most affected; 65.7% of the accidents happened in the home itself; a large number of cases could be eliminated if there were more intensive and careful observation over a period of 10 days; the index of treatments abandoned was 10.4%; the institutions that have some responsibility for rabies' control and prophylaxis are not adequately coordinated.
Rabies; Epidemiological surveillance
