Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the leishmaniases among inhabitants from a Paraguayan district in the border area between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania sp. that differ in their geographical distribution, hosts, and vectors. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the population are important to understand their relation to the disease. The aim of this study was to characterize KAP with regard to the leishmaniases in inhabitants of the triple border area Argentina–Brazil–Paraguay in specific neighborhoods where infected dogs were found and phlebotomine were captured, identifying a transmission focus. This is an observational, descriptive design based on a quantitative transversal survey. Sixty-two surveys were applied in homes located in areas at risk. Surveys were carried out in households in the San Francisco and Santa Rosa neighborhoods where the presence of infected reservoirs (dogs) was confirmed and Lu. longipalpis had been previously identified and captured. Seventy-one percent of respondents stated that they had heard about the disease. Knowledge about types, mode of transmission, and symptoms of the disease was rare. Attitudes and practices were closely related to pet dogs, and confusion between human and canine cases was noticed. There was a major flaw in the public services responsible for the transfer of knowledge to the population. These results suggest the necessity of conducting an educational intervention in these vulnerable populations, to improve conditions for prevention and control of leishmaniasis in the triple border where the flux of people is very intense and the chances of outbreaks are currently very high.