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Shao M, Hu P, Xu P, Sun J, Zhang X, Zhang D, Shen Y, Gao D, Zhang W, Qin W, Lyu Y. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17562. [PMID: 38912050 PMCID: PMC11192025 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne rickettsial disease (TBRD) is a perilous acute infection that often eludes diagnosis in its early stages. The triad of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) among medical professionals is key to reducing missed diagnosis rates. Therefore, a meticulous evaluation of KAPs is imperative. This study aimed to delve into the understanding of TBRD and explore the beliefs and practices related to personal prevention methods among individuals in Lu'an, a hotspot for TBRD. During the summer months of 2023, convenience sampling was employed by circulating a confidential questionnaire to 1,206 participants in the endemic regions of China. This questionnaire painted a comprehensive picture of the participants' sociodemographic profiles and their KAPs levels vis-à-vis TBRD. The findings revealed that participants scored a mere 55.78% in knowledge, while their attitudes and practices garnered impressive scores of 90.09% and 90.83%, respectively. Upon further analysis using multiple linear regression, several intriguing patterns emerged. Male participants, employed in the Infectious Disease Department, held vice-senior or higher titles, or had prior medical training demonstrated superior knowledge scores. On the other hand, medical personnel who were younger than 30, possessed graduate degrees or higher qualifications, and had training excelled in attitudes and practices. Notably, when employing the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix, a significant distribution of medical personnel was observed across the four quadrants. Specifically, 37.43%, 13.19%, 19.61%, and 29.77% fell into the first, second, third, and fourth quadrants. This survey underscores the commendable attitudes and practices of medical staff towards TBRD in endemic regions of China. However, their knowledge level remains wanting and demands urgent improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaohui Shao
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Peiyuan Hu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Pengpeng Xu
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaqing Zhang
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology & Parasitology, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Lu’an Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Yong Shen
- Lu’an Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Dawei Gao
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Weigang Zhang
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Wei Qin
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
| | - Yong Lyu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Lu’an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lu’an, Anhui, China
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Eleftheriou A, Swisher S, Arruda A, Berrian A, Pesapane R. A survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinary professionals regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases: Insights from Ohio, USA. One Health 2023; 17:100592. [PMID: 37404947 PMCID: PMC10316080 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, ticks are becoming more problematic as agricultural pests and vectors of tick-borne diseases (TBDs), many of which are shared between animals and people. Veterinary professionals, including veterinarians and non-veterinarians, are considered a vulnerable group through occupational exposure. To inform educational interventions at the intrapersonal level, a common approach is to first assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of target populations. Thus, our objective was to assess KAP of veterinary professionals in Ohio, a state faced with expanding and invading ticks of medical and veterinary concern. Using a convenience sample, we surveyed 178 veterinary professionals across Ohio with an electronic questionnaire that covered knowledge, attitudes, practices, exposures, demography, education, and surveillance regarding ticks and TBDs. We found that veterinary professionals had cautionary attitudes towards ticks and TBDs and practiced prevention for themselves and their patients, even when tick exposures were infrequently reported. However, veterinary professionals significantly lacked in knowledge regarding tick biology and local TBD epidemiology. Furthermore, we found that knowledge regarding tick biology and attitudes towards ticks and TBDs did not associate with practices. Instead, we found that veterinarian status and routine tick checks of patients were associated with frequent discussions of tick prevention with clients. Our findings emphasize that most tick exposures of veterinary professionals are occupational, and thus prevention should start at the workplace. Cultivating knowledge of veterinary professionals regarding tick biology and local TBD epidemiology may lead to greater motivation and confidence with identifying ticks and testing for TBDs, which may also increase the diagnostic capacity of veterinary professionals for tick and TBD surveillance. Because veterinary professionals typically interact with both animals and their owners, improving their KAP regarding ticks and TBDs, can in turn promote animal, human, and environmental health within a "One Health" context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Eleftheriou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Samantha Swisher
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Andreia Arruda
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Amanda Berrian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Risa Pesapane
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Charles RA, Bermúdez S, Banović P, Alvarez DO, Díaz-Sánchez AA, Corona-González B, Etter EMC, Rodríguez González I, Ghafar A, Jabbar A, Moutailler S, Cabezas-Cruz A. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective. Pathogens 2021; 10:1273. [PMID: 34684222 PMCID: PMC8538257 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layered manner, including all components of the chain of infections, following the 'One Health' tenets. The implementation of such an approach requires coordination among major stakeholders (such as veterinarians, physicians, acarologists, and researchers) for the identification of exposure and infection risks and application of effective prevention measures. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Central America and the Caribbean and the challenges associated with the implementation of 'One Health' surveillance and control programs in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne A Charles
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Sergio Bermúdez
- Department of Medical Entomology, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Research, Panama 0816-02593, Panama
| | - Pavle Banović
- Ambulance for Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
- Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | | | - Belkis Corona-González
- Department of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, Apartado Postal 10, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque 32700, Cuba
| | - Eric Marcel Charles Etter
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Petit-Bourg, 97170 Guadeloupe, France
- ASTRE, University de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Islay Rodríguez González
- Department of Mycology-Bacteriology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kourí, Marianao 13, Havana 10400, Cuba
| | - Abdul Ghafar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, the University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, the University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Sara Moutailler
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Buczek A, Pilch J, Buczek W. Tick Preventive Behaviors and Practices Adopted by Medical Students from Poland, Germany, and Thailand in Relation to Socio-Demographic Conditions and Their Knowledge of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11120863. [PMID: 33287425 PMCID: PMC7761883 DOI: 10.3390/insects11120863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Given the high medical importance of ticks, we analyzed the most common preventive behaviors and practices adopted by medical students from Poland, Germany, and Thailand, and the level of their knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases. A survey consisting of 19 questions was conducted among 636 randomly selected students. The study showed that the Polish and German students preferred inspection of the body on their return home (86.9% and 63.5%, respectively) and wearing protective clothes (79.8% and 32.3%, respectively) as part of prophylaxis. The Thai students most often chose wearing protective clothes (54.7%) and preventive behavior in tick habitats (42.7%). Approximately 7% of the Polish medical students and as many as 22% of the German and Thai respondents did not use any means of prevention. Our analyses suggest that the use of preventive methods and respondents' behaviors depend on socio-demographic factors and the level of health education. The insufficient practical implementation of tick prevention measures by the medical students suggests a need for verification of health education programs in schools as well as effective popularization and educational activities. It is also necessary to develop a public health protection strategy against the effects of tick bites.
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