Differences in Sources of Information Used by the Population between the Affected Area and the General Population during the First Phase of a Bird Flu Outbreak

Abstract

In March 2006, a few cases of bird flu were discovered in approximately 10 rural settlements in Israel. As a result, approximately one million birds were destroyed within a three kilometer radius of the settlements. The Israeli population was instructed to take preventive measures against the spread of the infection. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of use of different sources of information by the population in the affected area with the general population during the first phase of a bird flu outbreak in Israel. A telephone survey among two randomly selected, representative samples of adults was conducted. One sample involved 500 adult Israeli residents; the other sample involved 103 adult residents from the affected area during the first phase of the outbreak. The use of different sources of information by the population concerning the disease was assessed. The differences in these parameters between the affected area and the nationwide population were analyzed using a chi-square and t-test analysis. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Television was a significantly more common source of information in Israel as a whole (p < 0.05), whereas friends (p < 0.05) and local authorities (p < 0.05) were significantly more common sources of information in the affected area. The frequency of use of the sources of information by the population during the early phase of a bird flu outbreak is different in the affected area compared with the general population in the same country. Authorities must pay attention to this phenomenon and use the correct sources of information in each area in order to achieve better exposure of the population to the recommended behaviors during an outbreak.