Melkamu Habtamu Tamrat, Beyene Achenef Melaku, Zegeye Desalegn Tegabu
West Armachiho District Agricultural Office, Abrehajira, North Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Veterinary Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Heliyon. 2020 Jan 6;6(1):e03152. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e03152. eCollection 2020 Jan.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is a tropical disease, which is caused by an obligate intracellular parasite of the genus . It is transmitted by the bite of an infected phlebotomine sand fly. The disease is endemic in northwest part of Ethiopia particularly in areas bordering Sudan. Assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the community is helpful to design and implement appropriate control and prevention strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the KAP of the resident community on VL in West Armachiho district, northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected by using pretested and well-structured questionnaire. Two villages (Abderafi and Abrehajira) were selected randomly. Households engaged in the study were selected by systematic random sampling method and then finally, simple random sampling was used to engage a maximum of two individuals per household. A total of 422 participants were engaged in the study. Almost all participants heard about VL. The source of information was mainly from friends (80.8%). The highest proportion (88.2%) of participants thought that persistent enlargement of liver and spleen (enlargement of the abdomen) was the main symptom of VL. Of all participants, only 52.1% knew sand fly as the vector of the disease. The overall assessment of participants indicated that 21.1% were knowledgeable, 53.6% had positive attitudes and 14.9% had optimal practices on VL. In conclusion, the survey indicated that participants had better attitude about VL. However, there were a large gap in knowledge and practices. The misunderstanding and incorrect practices may remain serious concerns in the control and prevention of the disease. It is recommended that health education program should be strengthened to increase peoples' awareness and improve their practices on VL in the district and further studies are strongly suggested for better understanding of the dynamics of the disease in the area.
内脏利什曼病（VL）即黑热病，是一种热带疾病，由利什曼原虫属的专性细胞内寄生虫引起。它通过受感染的白蛉叮咬传播。该疾病在埃塞俄比亚西北部流行，特别是在与苏丹接壤的地区。评估社区的知识、态度和行为（KAP）有助于设计和实施适当的控制与预防策略。在埃塞俄比亚西北部的西阿尔马奇霍区进行了一项横断面研究，以评估当地居民社区对VL的KAP。通过使用预先测试且结构良好的问卷收集数据。随机选择了两个村庄（阿卜杜勒拉菲和阿布雷哈伊拉）。参与研究的家庭通过系统随机抽样方法选取，最后，采用简单随机抽样，每户最多选取两人参与。共有422名参与者参与了该研究。几乎所有参与者都听说过VL。信息来源主要是朋友（80.8%）。最高比例（88.2%）的参与者认为肝脏和脾脏持续肿大（腹部肿大）是VL的主要症状。在所有参与者中，只有52.1%知道白蛉是该疾病的传播媒介。参与者的总体评估表明，21.1%知识丰富，53.6%态度积极，14.9%在VL方面行为最佳。总之，调查表明参与者对VL态度较好。然而，在知识和行为方面存在很大差距。这些误解和不正确的行为可能仍然是该疾病控制和预防中的严重问题。建议加强健康教育项目，以提高该地区民众对VL的认识并改善他们的行为，强烈建议进一步开展研究，以更好地了解该地区疾病的动态情况。
