Rabies: Knowledge and Practices Regarding Rabies in Rural Communities of the Brazilian Amazon Basin.
Rabies: Knowledge and Practices Regarding Rabies in Rural Communities of the Brazilian Amazon Basin.
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pntd.0004474
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发表时间：
2016-02
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Fernandes ME
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
da Costa LJ;Fernandes ME
2004年和2005年在巴西发生的由Desmodus rotundus传播的人狂犬病暴发加强了对这种人畜共患病进行进一步研究的必要性。对与该疾病相关的知识和实践的研究将有助于通过识别可能影响预防实践的差距来确定避免新病例的策略。一个半结构式问卷调查，适用于681名居民的12个社区的帕拉州东北部参与2004年和2005年爆发上述。目的是评价当地与该疾病有关的知识和做法。我们发现不同教育水平的人对狂犬病的认识有非常显著的差异（p<0.0001），这表明教育是对这种疾病的认识的主要决定因素。超过一半的受访者（63%）认识到人畜共患病的严重性，50%的人意识到蝙蝠对其传播的重要性，尽管很少有人（11%）熟悉症状，只有40%的人知道预防方法。即便如此，70%的宠物主人保持他们的动物接种疫苗，52%的被蝙蝠咬伤的受访者接受了暴露后疫苗接种。大多数受访者（57%）报告通过非正式讨论熟悉狂犬病，只有少数人（23%）提到公共卫生机构是他们的信息来源。我们发现了许多差距的知识和实践的受访者对狂犬病。这可能是由于公共卫生人员减少参与传播有关该疾病的细节。缺乏知识可能是发生新疫情的直接决定因素。鉴于这些发现，显然需要有当地人口和公共卫生实体参与的具体教育举措，其主要目的是促进狂犬病的预防。2004年和2005年，巴西亚马逊地区发生了由吸血蝙蝠Desmodus rotundus引起的人类狂犬病暴发，突出了这种蝙蝠在传播疾病中的作用，以及在该地区进一步研究这种人畜共患病的重要性。在本研究中，我们调查了受疫情影响的一些地区与狂犬病相关的当地知识和做法，旨在确定可能影响预防措施的差距。我们的研究结果表明，教育影响的知识水平，许多居民都知道疾病的严重性和蝙蝠在其传播中的作用，虽然不到一半的受访者知道如何防止传播。我们还发现，公共卫生人员在传播狂犬病信息方面效率不高，这可能是狂犬病知识水平低的一个重要决定因素。这些发现表明，显然需要通过针对当地人口的教育活动，提高公众对狂犬病潜在风险和避免疾病的意识，这应涉及负责控制和预防疾病的公共卫生当局。
The occurrence of outbreaks of human rabies transmitted by Desmodus rotundus in Brazil in 2004 and 2005 reinforced the need for further research into this zoonosis. Studies of knowledge and practices related to the disease will help to define strategies for the avoidance of new cases, through the identification of gaps that may affect the preventive practices. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to 681 residents of twelve communities of northeastern Pará state involved in the 2004 and 2005 outbreaks mentioned above. The objective was to evaluate the local knowledge and practices related to the disease. We found a highly significant difference (p<0.0001) in the knowledge of rabies among education levels, indicating that education is a primary determinant of knowledge on this disease. More than half of the respondents (63%) recognized the seriousness of the zoonosis, and 50% were aware of the importance of bats for its transmission, although few individuals (11%) were familiar with the symptoms, and only 40% knew methods of prevention. Even so, 70% of pet owners maintained their animals vaccinated, and 52% of the respondents bitten by bats had received post-exposure vaccination. Most of the respondents (57%) reported being familiarized with rabies through informal discussions, and only a few (23%) mentioned public health agents as the source of their information. We identified many gaps in the knowledge and practices of the respondents regarding rabies. This may be the result of the reduced participation of public health agents in the transfer of details about the disease. The lack of knowledge may be a direct determinant in the occurrence of new outbreaks. Given these findings, there is a clear need for specific educational initiatives involving the local population and the public health entities, with the primary aim of contributing to the prevention of rabies. In 2004 and 2005, the occurrence of outbreaks of human rabies caused by the hematophagous bat, Desmodus rotundus in the Brazilian Amazon, highlighted the role of this bat in the transmission of the disease and the importance of further research on this zoonosis in this region. In the present study, we investigated the local knowledge and practices related to rabies, in some areas affected by the outbreaks, with the aim of identifying gaps, which may affect the preventive practices. Our results show that education influences the level of knowledge, and many residents are aware of the seriousness of the disease and the role of bats in its transmission, although less than half of the respondents knew how to prevent transmission. We also discovered that public health agents were not effective in the transfer of information on rabies, which may be an important determinant of the low levels of knowledge about it. These findings indicated a clear need to increase public consciousness with regard to the potential risk of rabies and the means of avoiding the disease, through educational initiatives directed at the local population, which should involve the public health authorities responsible for the control and prevention of the disease.