Abstract
BackgroundThe current study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of at-risk populations for malaria and/or dengue fever in relation to mosquito exposure and household mosquito control practices. Specific objectives included comparison of individual and household level health practices between a rural and urban setting in Thailand. Findings are intended to guide Thailand Ministry of Health educational campaigns targeting arthropod-borne disease.MethodsA mixed method design was employed using a forced choice and open-ended questionnaire to assess KAP of participants seeking point-of-care treatment for malaria and/or dengue fever at government health-care facilities. Following informed consent, household construction characterization (percent eave gap, floor, wall, and roof material) and mosquito collections both indoors (using aspiration) and outside (using traps) were conducted at a subsample of participant homes. All mosquitoes were identified to genus and anopheline and aedine samples processed for potential pathogen infection.ResultsA total of 64 participants were recruited from both study sites; 62 categorized as malaria symptomology and 2 categorized as dengue across all study healthcare facilities. Significant associations between study site and household construction were indicated. Trends also identified household level practices and both occupation and household construction regarding type of mosquito control products purchased and the abundance of mosquitoes in sampled homes.ConclusionOverall, Ministry of Health information from education campaigns regarding malaria and dengue fever strategies is reaching the intended target populations at the study sites. Participants are aware of the presence of mosquitoes and that they serve as the potential vector for transmitting malaria and dengue fever diseases. However, specific knowledge gaps were also identified in each study site that may influence exposure to infected mosquitoes. Findings from this study are intended to guide future health education campaigns in these study settings to address specific community needs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0653-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The current study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of at-risk populations for malaria and/or dengue fever in relation to mosquito exposure and household mosquito control practices
Study sites and catchment Two political districts, Pong Nam Ron and Phanom, were selected as study sites based on endemicity for malaria and/or dengue fever and working relationships between the Ministry of Health and study personnel
Demographics In total, 64 persons who presented at the healthcare facilities with either malaria or dengue fever symptoms participated in the study between May-June 2014 (Table 1)
Summary
The current study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of at-risk populations for malaria and/or dengue fever in relation to mosquito exposure and household mosquito control practices. Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, account for an estimated 17% of the global burden of infectious diseases [1]. Symptoms of dengue fever range from asymptomatic to mild fever, severe headache, muscle and join pain, rash to more severe hemorrhagic manifestations [2]. Malaria, another vectorborne disease of global importance, was responsible for an estimated 627,000 deaths in 2013 alone [3]. In the absence of a marketed vaccine for either malaria or dengue fever, vector control continues to be the primary strategy to mitigate pathogen transmission
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