Riaz Sajida, Ahmed Haroon, Kiani Sana Azeem, Afzal Muhammad Sohail, Simsek Sami, Celik Figen, Wasif Samia, Bangash Nazneen, Naqvi Syed Kamran, Zhang Jing, Cao Jianping
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan.
Front Vet Sci. 2023 Feb 28;10:1088981. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1088981. eCollection 2023.
Snails play an important role as an intermediate host in various parasitic diseases, which are referred to as snail-borne parasitic diseases (SBPDs). The prevalence of the SBPDs, schistosomiasis and fascioliasis is low in Pakistan compared to other countries. The present study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to these two SPBDs and risk factors associated with them among the humans living in close contact with livestock and pets from three regions of Pakistan: Punjab, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire to assess participants' knowledge, attitude and practices related to schistosomiasis and fascioliasis during 2021-2022.
The majority of the 507 participants who were interviewed had good knowledge of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis: 43% were aware of schistosomiasis and 57% were aware of fascioliasis, but only 25% knew about snails as an intermediate host. Most respondents had a positive attitude toward treatment, prevention and control of the diseases but they did not have any healthcare facilities.
This study highlights the importance of the public's awareness for the need to control SBPDs. It also draws attention to the need for health education for risk reduction and the prevention of SBPDs in endemic areas.
蜗牛在各种寄生虫病中作为中间宿主发挥着重要作用，这些疾病被称为蜗牛传播的寄生虫病（SBPDs）。与其他国家相比，巴基斯坦的SBPDs、血吸虫病和肝片吸虫病的流行率较低。本研究调查了巴基斯坦三个地区（旁遮普省、伊斯兰堡和阿扎德克什米尔）与家畜和宠物密切接触的人群中与这两种SPBDs相关的知识、态度和行为以及与之相关的风险因素。
在2021 - 2022年期间，使用结构化问卷进行横断面调查，以评估参与者与血吸虫病和肝片吸虫病相关的知识、态度和行为。
接受访谈的507名参与者中，大多数对血吸虫病和肝片吸虫病有较好的了解：43%的人知晓血吸虫病，57%的人知晓肝片吸虫病，但只有25%的人知道蜗牛是中间宿主。大多数受访者对疾病的治疗、预防和控制持积极态度，但他们没有任何医疗保健设施。
本研究强调了公众对控制SBPDs必要性的认识的重要性。它还提请注意在流行地区开展健康教育以降低风险和预防SBPDs的必要性。
