A survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinary professionals regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases: Insights from Ohio, USA

Eleftheriou, Andreas; Swisher, Samantha; Arruda, Andréia G.; Berrian, Amanda M.; Pesapane, Risa

doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100592

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…Medical staff play an important role in detecting and controlling infectious diseases. They are also an important source of information to help raise public awareness among high-risk people ( Eleftheriou et al, 2023 ). The Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAPs) theory is the most widely utilized framework for explaining how individual knowledge and beliefs influence change in health practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China

Shao,

Hu,

et al. 2024

PeerJ

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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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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China

Shao,

Hu,

et al. 2024

PeerJ

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Knowledge and perception of equine ticks and tick-borne diseases of Pennsylvania horse owners and caretakers

Smarsh,

Kenny,

Spindler

et al. 2024

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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Knowledge, attitude, and practices of veterinarians towards canine vector-borne pathogens in Sri Lanka

Atapattu,

Colella,

Traub

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Canine vector-borne pathogens (CVBP) have a worldwide distribution and show a high prevalence in tropical countries such as Sri Lanka. Some CVBP are zoonotic, with dogs identified as reservoir hosts for human subcutaneous dirofilariasis and potentially for spotted fever rickettsioses and re-emergent brugian filariasis in Sri Lanka, making these pathogens emerging public health issues in the country. Veterinarians are crucial in monitoring, preventing, and controlling these pathogens in dogs. Therefore, it is imperative to understand veterinarians’ knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding CVBP to mitigate their impact. A survey was designed and administered electronically to veterinarians residing and practising in Sri Lanka. Responses were evaluated using descriptive, univariable, and multivariable analyses to investigate associations between demographic factors, knowledge, attitude, and practices related to CVBP. Out of the 170 participating veterinarians, nearly 70% had moderate or high knowledge. However, the awareness of zoonotic pathogens, Brugia spp. (16%) and Rickettsia conorii (18%), was low, and a considerable number of veterinarians were unaware of the zoonotic nature of Dirofilaria repens. Based on multivariable analysis adjusting for experience and self-rated knowledge, new graduates had higher odds of knowledge compared to experienced veterinarians (OR 5.7, 95% CI 1.7–23, p = 0.028). Questions assessing the attitude towards CVBP indicated that most participating veterinarians comprehend and agree with their importance. Nearly all participants agreed that ectoparasite control is the best option to prevent CVBP infections (91%, 153/167) and that for effective treatment of CVBP, a definitive diagnosis is required (81%, 135/167). However, veterinarians recommended suboptimal treatments for some CVBP, like Babesia gibsoni. Better practices were associated with being a companion animal practitioner (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1–5.7, p = 0.032) and having a low to moderate canine caseload (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.3–10.4, p = 0.038). Limited knowledge of zoonotic CVBP among veterinarians, along with suboptimal treatment, might contribute to dogs acting as reservoirs and high prevalence of these pathogens in Sri Lanka. Therefore, continued veterinary education is recommended to improve knowledge and practices, which in turn will help to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and control of these infections in Sri Lanka to ensure the well-being of dogs and humans.

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A survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinary professionals regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases: Insights from Ohio, USA

Cited by 3 publications

References 29 publications

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding tick-borne rickettsial disease among medical staff in endemic areas of China

Knowledge and perception of equine ticks and tick-borne diseases of Pennsylvania horse owners and caretakers

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of veterinarians towards canine vector-borne pathogens in Sri Lanka

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