Knowledge and perceptions about Zika virus in a Middle East country
Background
Zika virus, an emerging serious infectious disease, is a threat to persons living or travelling to regions where it is currently endemic, and also to contacts of infected individuals. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge about this new public health threat to persons residing in a Middle Eastern country.
Methods
We conducted a survey at several international universities in Qatar to assess knowledge and awareness about this disease. An adapted version of the survey was also conducted using online channels from Qatar.
Results
The median age of the 446 participants, was 25 years, 280 (63%) were females, and 32% were from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) or other Middle East countries. Based upon their knowledge about availability of a vaccine, role of mosquitoes and other modes of transmission, and disease complications, we classified respondent’s knowledge as “poor” (66%), “basic” (27%) or “broad” (7%). Forty-five (16%) persons with poor knowledge considered themselves to be well-informed.
Conclusions
This report from a sample of persons associated with Middle East educational complex, reveals inadequate knowledge about Zika virus, a serious emerging infectious disease. Although few cases have been reported from the region, future cases are possible, since this area is a transit hub connecting currently infected regions to North America, Europe and Asia. As a preventive measure, an educational program about Zika virus would be valuable, especially for individuals or family members travelling to afflicted regions.
Other Information
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-017-2603-6
Funding
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.
History
Language
- English
Publisher
Springer NaturePublication Year
- 2017
License statement
This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Institution affiliated with
- Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar
- Hamad Bin Khalifa University
- Qatar Computing Research Institute - HBKU