Community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis in Zambia.
Journal
PLoS neglected tropical diseases
ISSN: 1935-2735
Titre abrégé: PLoS Negl Trop Dis
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101291488
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
08 2023
08 2023
Historique:
received:
15
05
2023
accepted:
30
07
2023
revised:
22
08
2023
medline:
24
8
2023
pubmed:
10
8
2023
entrez:
10
8
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Several studies on Taenia solium taeniosis / cysticercosis (TSTC) have been conducted in Zambia. However, none has assessed community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to TSTC and epilepsy. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between November and December 2022. The design consisted of a questionnaire-based survey conducted in each of the 25 purposely selected villages in Chiparamba Rural Health Centre (RHC) catchment area in Chipata district of the Eastern Province. A total of 588 participants comprising 259 (44%) males and 329 (56%) females with median age of 42 years (range 17 to 92 years) were interviewed. Awareness of the signs and symptoms of taeniosis and human cysticercosis (HCC), including transmission and prevention measures was very low. Whilst the majority had heard about epilepsy, they were not able to link HCC to epilepsy. Most participants were aware of cysticerci in pigs (PCC) including its predilection sites but were not aware of mode of transmission and prevention measures. The pork meat inspection by trained professionals was also not a common practice in the area. Risk perception of T. solium infections was thus very low. Overall knowledge, attitude and practice scores related to T. solium infections and to epilepsy were very low with median scores of 0.38 (IQR 0.25-0.54) for knowledge, 0.25 (0.25-0.50) for attitudes, and 0.31 (0.25-0.44) for practices. Males had better knowledge on TSTC (median = 0.42, p = 0.017, r = 0.098) and better practice scores (median = 0.38, p = < 0.001, r = 0.154) compared to females though the effect size was small. With regards to sanitation and hygiene washing with soap and water was reported by many but only few had a hand washing facility near their latrines. The study shows overall poor knowledge, attitudes and practices related to TSTC among the community of Chiparamba RHC in Chipata district of the Eastern Province of Zambia. This poses a serious challenge for control and elimination of T. solium infections and thus efforts to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices should be made using a One Health approach for the control and elimination of TSTC. Educational programs about TSTC transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention, management and control need to be scaled up in the study area and Zambia as a whole.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Several studies on Taenia solium taeniosis / cysticercosis (TSTC) have been conducted in Zambia. However, none has assessed community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to TSTC and epilepsy.
METHODS
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between November and December 2022. The design consisted of a questionnaire-based survey conducted in each of the 25 purposely selected villages in Chiparamba Rural Health Centre (RHC) catchment area in Chipata district of the Eastern Province.
RESULTS
A total of 588 participants comprising 259 (44%) males and 329 (56%) females with median age of 42 years (range 17 to 92 years) were interviewed. Awareness of the signs and symptoms of taeniosis and human cysticercosis (HCC), including transmission and prevention measures was very low. Whilst the majority had heard about epilepsy, they were not able to link HCC to epilepsy. Most participants were aware of cysticerci in pigs (PCC) including its predilection sites but were not aware of mode of transmission and prevention measures. The pork meat inspection by trained professionals was also not a common practice in the area. Risk perception of T. solium infections was thus very low. Overall knowledge, attitude and practice scores related to T. solium infections and to epilepsy were very low with median scores of 0.38 (IQR 0.25-0.54) for knowledge, 0.25 (0.25-0.50) for attitudes, and 0.31 (0.25-0.44) for practices. Males had better knowledge on TSTC (median = 0.42, p = 0.017, r = 0.098) and better practice scores (median = 0.38, p = < 0.001, r = 0.154) compared to females though the effect size was small. With regards to sanitation and hygiene washing with soap and water was reported by many but only few had a hand washing facility near their latrines.
CONCLUSION
The study shows overall poor knowledge, attitudes and practices related to TSTC among the community of Chiparamba RHC in Chipata district of the Eastern Province of Zambia. This poses a serious challenge for control and elimination of T. solium infections and thus efforts to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices should be made using a One Health approach for the control and elimination of TSTC. Educational programs about TSTC transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention, management and control need to be scaled up in the study area and Zambia as a whole.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37561784
doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011375
pii: PNTD-D-23-00581
pmc: PMC10443877
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e0011375Informations de copyright
Copyright: © 2023 Zulu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Références
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009;3(3):e406
pubmed: 19333365
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Mar 04;9(3):e0003570
pubmed: 25739017
Epilepsy Behav. 2010 Nov;19(3):414-8
pubmed: 20851056
Int Health. 2012 Sep;4(3):164-9
pubmed: 24029395
Vet Parasitol. 2007 Jan 19;143(1):59-66
pubmed: 16956727
Epilepsia Open. 2023 Jun;8(2):487-496
pubmed: 36896648
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7(3):e2142
pubmed: 23556026
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Feb;76(2):376-83
pubmed: 17297051
Lancet Glob Health. 2018 Apr;6(4):e411-e425
pubmed: 29530423
Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Jan;17(1):1-6
pubmed: 21192847
Soc Sci Med. 2014 Nov;120:215-23
pubmed: 25261615
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(3):e1594
pubmed: 22479664
Trends Parasitol. 2014 Aug;30(8):372-4
pubmed: 25017127
Indian J Psychol Med. 2013 Apr;35(2):121-6
pubmed: 24049221
Parasitol Int. 2006;55 Suppl:S7-S13
pubmed: 16386944
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1997 Feb;56(2):127-32
pubmed: 9080868
Epilepsy Behav. 2005 Aug;7(1):68-73
pubmed: 15978874
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Nov 7;16(11):e0010870
pubmed: 36342903
Acta Trop. 2003 Jun;87(1):111-7
pubmed: 12781385
BMC Infect Dis. 2017 Jan 3;17(1):1
pubmed: 28049444
Trends Parasitol. 2014 Jan;30(1):20-6
pubmed: 24314578
Trop Med Int Health. 2006 Jun;11(6):906-16
pubmed: 16772013
PLoS One. 2015 Feb 26;10(2):e0118541
pubmed: 25719902
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2018 Nov-Dec;51(6):861-863
pubmed: 30517544
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Jul;67 Suppl 2:69-81
pubmed: 31231968
Lancet Infect Dis. 2002 Feb;2(2):103-10
pubmed: 11901641
Trop Med Int Health. 2022 Jan;27(1):99-109
pubmed: 34861092
Parasit Vectors. 2017 Nov 16;10(1):572
pubmed: 29145875
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010 Nov 02;4(11):e870
pubmed: 21072231
Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2018 Dec 19;4:e00082
pubmed: 30662967
BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Jun 13;22(1):534
pubmed: 35692033
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Aug 18;9(8):e0003972
pubmed: 26285031
Lancet. 2003 Aug 16;362(9383):547-56
pubmed: 12932389
Front Vet Sci. 2022 Apr 07;9:833721
pubmed: 35464359
N Engl J Med. 2020 Jul 23;383(4):396-397
pubmed: 32699455
Acta Trop. 2017 Jan;165:252-260
pubmed: 27140860
Vet Parasitol. 2015 Jan 30;207(3-4):241-8
pubmed: 25591408
Vet Parasitol. 2016 Jul 30;225:33-42
pubmed: 27369573
Infect Dis Poverty. 2017 Jun 1;6(1):95
pubmed: 28569208