A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to XXXX and Sand Flies in Punjab, Pakistan.

@entity1 @entity232 @entity281 @entity4536 @entity272
BACKGROUND: Recent outbreaks of @entity4536 make the disease a public health concern in Punjab, Pakistan. The knowledge of how the population perceives the disease and its vector is essential in order to design an effective management strategy, but such studies are rare in Pakistan. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The present study was based on a cross-sectional self-administered survey comprising 250 household samples collected from five localities including Bhawalpur, Multan, Jhang, Faisalabad and Lahore. The results revealed that the respondents had a poor knowledge of the vector and disease. Few of the respondents were aware about the identification of sand flies, their breeding place, biting time, transmission of @entity232 and control measures. @entity272 and sandflies as the main disease symptom and vector of the disease, respectively, were known to some of the respondents. Some believed that summer was the main peak incidence of the disease and it could be transmitted from @entity1 to @entity1 via contact. However, most of the respondents believed that the disease could be cured. Admission to hospitals, cleanliness and use of bed nets were the treatment measures for the disease in suspected @entity1 , whereas some thought that the use of bed nets could be helpful in preventing @entity281 . CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Poor knowledge of the disease and its vector in the study population emphasize the need to initiate health education and awareness campaigns to minimize the risks of @entity4536 outbreaks in the future.
