Abstract
Similar to other epidemics, knowledge about Zika virus (ZIKV) relies upon information often coming from outside the health system. This study aimed to explore views, perceptions and attitudes towards ZIKV among migrant women from Central and South America, diagnosed with ZIKV infection during pregnancy, and to comprehend healthcare professionals’ perceptions of ZIKV. An exploratory qualitative study, based on phenomenology and grounded theory, was conducted in Barcelona, Spain. Data were collected through in-depth and paired interviews with women diagnosed with ZIKV infection during pregnancy, and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals. Women showed good level of awareness of ZIKV, despite some knowledge gaps. The most consulted source of information about ZIKV was the Internet. Women expressed they suffered from anxiety and depression due to potential effects of ZIKV on their babies. They conveyed their sources of support came primarily from their partners and relatives, as well as healthcare professionals. This study stresses the dramatic health, social and emotional burden that the epidemic imposed on migrant women infected with ZIKV during pregnancy. These results may help guide psychosocial support and health measures for pregnant women and their children as part of the public health emergency response in emergent epidemics.
Highlights
Zika virus (ZIKV) was first identified in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 [1]
This study aimed to explore views, perceptions and attitudes towards ZIKV, and its preventive and control measures, among migrant women from Central and South America living in Spain who traveled to their countries of origin during the epidemic and were diagnosed with ZIKV infection during pregnancy; and to comprehend healthcare professionals’ views, perceptions and attitudes while communicating ZIKV information
Knowledge levels about ZIKV highly depend on news, access to health services and the kind of relationship with healthcare professionals; knowledge translates into perceptions that can crucially shape attitudes and practices towards preventive measures, healthcare-seeking behavior and reproductive decisions
Summary
Zika virus (ZIKV) was first identified in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 [1]. In 2015, an outbreak of ZIKV rapidly spread through The Americas and multiple other countries worldwide [2]. ZIKV is transmitted by mosquito bites, sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, organ transplantation, blood productions and during pregnancy from women to fetuses [1,3]. ZIKV infections cause a mild self-limited disease, with skin rash and fever as its main clinical features [2], similar to other arboviral infections caused by dengue and chikungunya, endemic in Central and South America and transmitted by the same vector (Aedes mosquito species) [4]. ZIKV infection can cause neurological disorders such as meningoencephalitis or Guillain–Barré syndrome; and if the infection occurs during pregnancy it can be associated with spontaneous abortions, stillbirths and children with neurological impairments, known as Congenital Zika Syndrome [1,5]. Public Health 2020, 17, 6643; doi:10.3390/ijerph17186643 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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