Eleftheriou Andreas, Swisher Samantha, Arruda Andreia, Berrian Amanda, Pesapane Risa
College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1920 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
One Health. 2023 Jun 22;17:100592. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100592. eCollection 2023 Dec.
Globally, ticks are becoming more problematic as agricultural pests and vectors of tick-borne diseases (TBDs), many of which are shared between animals and people. Veterinary professionals, including veterinarians and non-veterinarians, are considered a vulnerable group through occupational exposure. To inform educational interventions at the intrapersonal level, a common approach is to first assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of target populations. Thus, our objective was to assess KAP of veterinary professionals in Ohio, a state faced with expanding and invading ticks of medical and veterinary concern. Using a convenience sample, we surveyed 178 veterinary professionals across Ohio with an electronic questionnaire that covered knowledge, attitudes, practices, exposures, demography, education, and surveillance regarding ticks and TBDs. We found that veterinary professionals had cautionary attitudes towards ticks and TBDs and practiced prevention for themselves and their patients, even when tick exposures were infrequently reported. However, veterinary professionals significantly lacked in knowledge regarding tick biology and local TBD epidemiology. Furthermore, we found that knowledge regarding tick biology and attitudes towards ticks and TBDs did not associate with practices. Instead, we found that veterinarian status and routine tick checks of patients were associated with frequent discussions of tick prevention with clients. Our findings emphasize that most tick exposures of veterinary professionals are occupational, and thus prevention should start at the workplace. Cultivating knowledge of veterinary professionals regarding tick biology and local TBD epidemiology may lead to greater motivation and confidence with identifying ticks and testing for TBDs, which may also increase the diagnostic capacity of veterinary professionals for tick and TBD surveillance. Because veterinary professionals typically interact with both animals and their owners, improving their KAP regarding ticks and TBDs, can in turn promote animal, human, and environmental health within a "One Health" context.
在全球范围内，蜱作为农业害虫和蜱传疾病（TBDs）的传播媒介，问题日益严重，其中许多疾病在动物和人类之间传播。兽医专业人员，包括兽医和非兽医，因其职业暴露被视为弱势群体。为了为个人层面的教育干预提供信息，一种常见的方法是首先评估目标人群的知识、态度和行为（KAP）。因此，我们的目标是评估俄亥俄州兽医专业人员的KAP，该州面临着医学和兽医领域关注的蜱虫不断扩张和入侵的问题。我们采用便利抽样的方法，通过电子问卷对俄亥俄州的178名兽医专业人员进行了调查，问卷涵盖了关于蜱虫和TBDs的知识、态度、行为、暴露情况、人口统计学、教育和监测等方面。我们发现，兽医专业人员对蜱虫和TBDs持谨慎态度，即使蜱虫暴露报告较少，他们也会为自己和患者采取预防措施。然而，兽医专业人员在蜱虫生物学和当地TBD流行病学知识方面明显不足。此外，我们发现关于蜱虫生物学的知识以及对蜱虫和TBDs的态度与行为无关。相反，我们发现兽医身份和对患者进行常规蜱虫检查与与客户频繁讨论蜱虫预防有关。我们的研究结果强调，兽医专业人员的大多数蜱虫暴露是职业性的，因此预防应从工作场所开始。培养兽医专业人员关于蜱虫生物学和当地TBD流行病学的知识，可能会增强他们识别蜱虫和检测TBDs的动力和信心，这也可能提高兽医专业人员进行蜱虫和TBD监测的诊断能力。由于兽医专业人员通常与动物及其主人都有互动，改善他们关于蜱虫和TBDs的KAP，反过来可以在“同一健康”背景下促进动物、人类和环境健康。
