Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
Front Public Health. 2022 Nov 21;10:1015475. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1015475. eCollection 2022.
Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a neglected zoonotic disease. Prevalence of AE in humans is reported in Pakistan as a result of poor economic and sanitary conditions, close proximity to wildlife and limited knowledge of AE. Studies on the prevalence and transmission of AE have been limited, especially for rural Pakistan. The study objectives were to identify knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to AE, to determine awareness of the disease, and to identify knowledge about possible risk factors of infections involving the landscape epidemiological attributes of rural villages in Hunza, one of the districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, a region of Pakistan that borders China.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Hunza to establish the level of awareness, knowledge, attitudes, practices, landscape epidemiology, and disease management and control relating to AE in rural areas of Hunza. Data were collected by questionnaire.
A total of 387 questionnaires was received. Statistical analysis showed that the population's knowledge about the disease was poor. The attitudes and practices of the participants indicated that their risk of infection was low. Knowledge of landscape epidemiology of the disease was poor but knowledge about AE disease management was good. The attitudes of residents toward disease treatment and control strategies were positive, although the overall knowledge of participants about prevention of infection was poor.
Knowledge of AE is poor among the residents of Hunza, Pakistan. Our study demands continued and strengthened awareness of the changes to lifestyle and practices associated with AE, not only in the study locality but throughout other areas of Pakistan.
人类泡型包虫病（AE）是一种被忽视的人畜共患疾病。巴基斯坦的 AE 患病率是由于经济和卫生条件差、与野生动物密切接触以及对 AE 的认识有限所致。AE 的流行状况和传播研究有限，特别是在巴基斯坦农村地区。本研究旨在确定与 AE 相关的知识、态度和实践，了解疾病的认知情况，并确定与 Hunza 农村地区景观流行病学特征有关的可能感染风险因素的知识，Hunza 是巴基斯坦吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦地区的一个区，与中国接壤。
在 Hunza 进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究，以确定 Hunza 农村地区 AE 的认知程度、知识、态度、实践、景观流行病学以及疾病管理和控制水平。通过问卷调查收集数据。
共收到 387 份问卷。统计分析表明，人群对该疾病的了解程度较差。参与者的态度和实践表明，他们的感染风险较低。对疾病景观流行病学的了解较差，但对 AE 疾病管理的了解较好。居民对疾病治疗和控制策略的态度是积极的，尽管参与者对感染预防的整体知识较差。
巴基斯坦 Hunza 居民对 AE 的了解程度较差。我们的研究要求不仅在研究地点，而且在巴基斯坦其他地区继续加强对与 AE 相关的生活方式和实践变化的认识。
