Knowledge, perception and attitude about Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) among medical and pharmacy students of Pakistan

Abstract

BackgroundCrimean Congo Hemorrhagic (CCHF) is a deadly tick born disease caused by a virus of genus Nairovirus and is endemic in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Eastern areas of Europe. Pakistan is a CCHF endemic country with a constant threat of sporadic outbreaks. Health care workers are more prone to CCHF, hence, it is a prerequisite for members of the healthcare team to stay abreast with current knowledge and display positive attitude and perception. This study assessed the medical and pharmacy students’ preparedness level in terms of CCHF control and management.MethodsA total of 900 consenting students were selected randomly, who completed a predesigned and validated questionnaire which assessed the participant’s general knowledge, emergency preparedness control and management of CCHF. Data were analyzed by SPSS (IBM SPSS version 21). For data analysis percentages, P-value, t-test, the independent sample mean, Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Logistic regression, and Spearman correlation were utilized.ResultsAmong 900 study respondents, 68% were females and 32% were males, out of which physicians (MBBS) students were 48.4%, and pharmacists students were 51.6%. Majority of the respondents 39.9% were from age group of 22–25 years. Overall 43% healthcare students demonstrated good knowledge about disease causes, transmission, and treatment options. Additionally, 81% of the study participants showed positive attitude, whereas, 69% students demonstrated positive perceptions. The correlation coefficient showed positive correlation between attitude- perception (r = 0.268, p value = 0.000), knowledge- attitude (r = 0.234, p value = 0.000) and knowledge- perception (r = 0.257, p value = 0.000).ConclusionsKnowledge gaps were observed which is alarming. These gaps were multifactorial and mainly due to lack of knowledge, poor motivation, and old syllabus which needs to be addressed. The study results show that it is crucial to evaluate current curriculum and also showing a dire need of awareness seminars, conferences workshops to highlight and educate about the current endemic disease to future health care professionals.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-6248-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Descriptive epidemiology of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Afghanistan: Reported cases to National Surveillance System, 2016–2018

“…The CFR was 43.3% among confirmed cases and 14.3% among suspected cases during the recent three-year period. This result is consistent with other studies such as the Ahmed et al, 2018 study in Pakistan, which found 10–40% CFR. In addition, the high-risk occupational groups were housewives (15%), health staff (13%), shepherds (11%), butchers (6%), students (6%), animal dealers and farmers (both 2%) respectively.…”

“…Sometimes, human to human transmission may occur in the health care setting because of close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected patients (World Health Organization (2015)). The disease is endemic in Asia, Europe, and Africa south of the 50 th parallel, the northern geographical limit of the principal vector, and the case fatality ratio (CFR) range has been reported from 10–40% (Ahmed et al, 2018). In another study conducted in Turkey, the CFR was estimated to be 5–80% (Leblebicioglu et al, 2015).…”

Knowledge, attitude and perceptions about Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) among occupationally high-risk healthcare professionals of Pakistan

“…The study instrument was designed based on the thorough literature review and information retrieved from the official webpage of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding CCHF transmission, precautions, epidemiology, seasonal impact, clinical management, and previous studies [ 23 , 27 , 32 , 33 ]. The questionnaire was validated in two steps in the first step initial version was sent to researchers from academia, medical professionals (Physicians, Nurses, and Pharmacists) for their suggestions regarding appropriateness, conciseness, and importance.…”

“…Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception (KAP) studies provide information on existing programs, and their results help develop future effective behavioral strategies [25]. Some studies have reported KAP of students and HCPs about CCHF in Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey [10,23,[26][27][28]. However, due to the limited evidence available, we aim to conduct knowledge, attitude, and perceptions assessment study among occupationally at-risk HCPs in the endemic region of Pakistan.…”

Potential of Crimean‐Congo Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak during Eid‐Ul‐Adha Islamic festival and COVID‐19 pandemic in Pakistan

“…Secondly, a significant proportion of the general public is unaware of the spread and control of the vector, and, finally, the lack of quarantine areas and policies to control infection add to the current health crisis. 11,12 The COVID-19 pandemic has brutally exposed the under-staffed Only intersectoral collaborative efforts, along with effective community participation, can help contain these two diseases together.…”