Step 1 :Define the function \(f(x) = \frac{x-4}{x^{2} + 8x}\).
Step 2 :Calculate the integral of the function from 3 to 4. The absolute value is taken because the function is negative in this interval.
Step 3 :The integral from 3 to 4 is approximately 0.013323970741445814.
Step 4 :Calculate the integral of the function from 4 to 5. The function is positive in this interval, so the absolute value is not necessary.
Step 5 :The integral from 4 to 5 is approximately 0.008492285853199761.
Step 6 :Add the two areas to get the total area of the region bounded by the function, the x-axis, and the vertical lines \(x=3\) and \(x=5\).
Step 7 :The total area is approximately 0.02.
Step 8 :Final Answer: The area of the region bounded by the function \(f(x)\), the x-axis, and the vertical lines \(x=3\) and \(x=5\) is \(\boxed{0.02}\).