Lounis Mohamed, Aissaoui Samah, Ghouissem Fatima, Souttou Karim
Department of Agro-Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Djelfa, PO Box 3117, Djelfa 17000, Algeria.
Laboratoire d'Exploration et Valorisation des Écosystèmes Steppiques, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Djelfa, PO Box 3117, Djelfa 17000, Algeria.
Vet Sci. 2024 Dec 29;12(1):10. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12010010.
Toxoplasmosis is a major veterinary and public health issue affecting humans and animals, where felids represent the definitive hosts of the causative agent . While the infections are mostly asymptomatic, the disease could be severe in immune-compromised patients and pregnant women. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge, practice, and attitude toward this disease among a sample of Algerian women. A cross-sectional poll was conducted between 25 March and 28 August 2024, using a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that only 53% of the 545 respondents heard of the disease before this survey, and being married increased the odds of awareness (AOR: 3.597 95% CI: 1.598-8.099). Among those who heard of the disease (288 women), 52.7% correct responses were obtained with varied frequencies regarding the mode of transmission and symptoms. The participants were aware of the role of cats as a source of contamination for humans (83.3%) and the common routes of transmission, including contact with cat feces (83.7%) and the consumption of undercooked meat (75%), but the role of unpasteurized milk from infected animals (40.3%), untreated water (35.8%), and blood transfusions (26.4%) was not well understood. The majority of participants ignored symptoms such as skin rashes (29.2%) and swollen lymph nodes (36.5%), as well as sequelae including mental impairment (32.3%) and eyesight issues (35.1%). Results showed also a high rate of appropriate practices and positive attitudes, where 90.3% of the participants said they were in favor of any action that intended to control toxoplasmosis. These results suggest the need to increase the level of awareness of Algerian women regarding this disease.
弓形虫病是一个影响人类和动物的主要兽医及公共卫生问题，猫科动物是病原体的终末宿主。虽然感染大多无症状，但在免疫功能低下的患者和孕妇中，该病可能很严重。本研究旨在评估阿尔及利亚女性样本对这种疾病的知识、实践和态度水平。于2024年3月25日至8月28日进行了一项横断面调查，使用自行填写的问卷。结果显示，在545名受访者中，只有53%的人在本次调查之前听说过这种疾病，已婚会增加知晓的几率（调整后比值比：3.597，95%置信区间：1.598 - 8.099）。在听说过这种疾病的人（288名女性）中，关于传播方式和症状的正确回答频率各不相同，正确率为52.7%。参与者了解猫作为人类污染源的作用（83.3%）以及常见的传播途径，包括接触猫粪（83.7%）和食用未煮熟的肉类（75%），但对受感染动物的未杀菌牛奶（40.3%）、未经处理的水（35.8%）和输血（26.4%）的作用了解不足。大多数参与者忽视了皮疹（29.2%）和淋巴结肿大（36.5%）等症状，以及包括精神障碍（32.3%）和视力问题（35.1%）在内的后遗症。结果还显示出较高的正确做法和积极态度比例，90.3%的参与者表示他们支持任何旨在控制弓形虫病的行动。这些结果表明有必要提高阿尔及利亚女性对这种疾病的认识水平。
