Knowledge of Chikungunya Fever Among Medical Students of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

ObjectiveChikungunya is a viral disease characterized by severe arthralgia, fever, rash, muscle pain, and neurological symptoms. Warm and humid weather, poor sanitary conditions, and improper water storage and disposal can lead to an uncontrolled outbreak of the Chikungunya virus in South Asia. Because a vaccine against the Chikungunya virus has not yet been developed, we must rely on appropriate awareness and suitable preventive measures to prevent its spread. A review of the literature shows that knowledge of the Chikungunya virus among medical students in Karachi is scarce. Because medical students are future medical practitioners, they should be adequately aware of this growing issue.Materials and methodsWe performed a single-center, cross-sectional study at the Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Karachi, Pakistan, in which 200 students were assessed on their knowledge of the Chikungunya virus and fever via a structured questionnaire.ResultsA total of 200 students participated in the study. The mean age of the study participants was 20 ± 1 years. Only 50% of the study participants had an adequate knowledge score related to the Chikungunya virus and fever. We found that 43% had an average knowledge, and 7% had poor knowledge. The study also revealed a strong association between year of study and knowledge score (p=0.003); those in the higher age group had more knowledge (p=0.014).ConclusionA low percentage of medical students have sufficient knowledge about Chikungunya virus and fever, which is alarming because Pakistan has recently faced a severe epidemic of Chikungunya virus fever and is a country prone to further outbreaks. Multiple training programs and lectures are necessary to prepare and educate medical students about both basic and clinical knowledge of Chikungunya.

Comparing the preventive behavior of medical students and physicians in the era of COVID‐19: Novel medical problems demand novel curricular interventions

“…The comparison of the age and education is shown in Figure 2. Out of 306 undergraduate students, 97% (297) were between 18 and 25 years of age and 3% (9) were between 26 and 44 years. Similarly, 99% (248) of graduate respondents were aged between 26 and 44 years and less than 1% (2) were between 45 and 60 years of age.…”

“…Insufficient emphasis on public health education deprives students of a broad outlook on healthcare systems. 9 Studies suggest that instead of improving, perceptions of medical students about the importance of preventive strategies diminish during their undergraduate years. 10,11 In the current health crisis, transmission control mainly relies on human behavior.…”

Knowledge of chikungunya and mosquito avoidance and control practices among newly admitted students at an offshore medical University in the Caribbean

“…The variations in the rate of responses to various questions used for scoring knowledge were also observed by previous studies. 19,22 After assessment of knowledge scores of 39 participants who were aware of chikungunya in the present study, the mean cumulative knowledge score was found to be 6.41 ±2.90 (range: 0 -10) out of 12. Regarding the level of their knowledge about chikungunya, only 30.77% (12) had good knowledge whereas 28.21% (11) had fair knowledge and 41.03% ( 16), poor knowledge.…”

Identification of the Hub Genes Involved in Chikungunya Viral Infection

“…The virus was first identified in Africa during an outbreak of a febrile illness [1]. Since then, it has spread to over 40 countries, causing significant health concerns due to its ability to cause acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, particularly in vulnerable populations during outbreaks [2]. The virus caused urban outbreaks in Thailand in 1967 and India in the 1970s [3].…”