Abstract
Since its discovery in 1947 in Uganda, ZIKV has spread to 61 countries with a total of 229,238 confirmed human cases worldwide. Specifically, Ecuador has recorded 3,058 confirmed cases and 7 confirmed cases of congenital syndrome associated with ZIKV. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM), this pilot study was conducted to assess Zika virus-related knowledge and attitudes among adults in Ecuador. The survey data were collected in public places in rural and urban areas of Ecuador in May 2016. Seven items measured ZIKV knowledge and 23 items measured attitudes toward ZIKV. A total of 181 Ecuadorians participated in this study. The average age of the sample was 33.4. With respect to ZIKV knowledge, the majority of the participants had heard of ZIKV (n = 162, 89.5%). More males reported first hearing of ZIKV on the internet (p = 0.02), more rural individuals reported knowing someone diagnosed with ZIKV (p = 0.02), more primary school educated individuals reported hearing about ZIKV first from their doctor/nurse (p = 0.03), and more high school graduates correctly identified that ZIKV could be transmitted from mother to child (p = 0.03). As for the HBM constructs, there was a statistically significant difference between gender and cues to action (p = 0.04), with males having a statistically significant lower mean on the cues to action items compared to females. There were also statistically significant differences between those categorized as having “adequate” knowledge compared to “low” knowledge on the benefits construct (p = 0.04) and the perceived severity construct (p = 0.03). There is a clear need for education about the transmission and prevention of ZIKV. High levels of self-efficacy for prevention behaviors for ZIKV combined with low perceived barriers in this community set the stage for effective educational interventions or health promotion campaigns that can ameliorate the knowledge deficits surrounding transmission and prevention.
Highlights
The Zika virus (ZIKV) was isolated for the first time in 1947 in the Zika forest in Uganda [1,2]
High levels of self-efficacy for prevention behaviors for ZIKV combined with low perceived barriers in this community set the stage for effective educational interventions or health promotion campaigns that can ameliorate the knowledge deficits surrounding transmission and prevention
Less than 25% (n = 35) of the participants who had heard of ZIKV knew ZIKV was transmitted via day biting mosquitoes, which was not assessed in other studies
Summary
The Zika virus (ZIKV) was isolated for the first time in 1947 in the Zika forest in Uganda [1,2]. In March 2017, the WHO reported that 84 countries have found evidence of mosquito-borne transmission of ZIKV and 61 countries have reported human ZIKV cases [3]. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported nearly 500,000 suspected ZIKV cases in Central American, South American and Caribbean countries [5]. Despite reports indicating that some countries in South America are reporting a decrease in incidence of ZIKV cases [5], the WHO recommends that vigilance remain high [3]. The virus has been found in semen and can be sexually transmitted [9]. Since February 2015, 13 countries have reported person to person transmission [3]. Five countries in the Americas have reported sexually transmitted ZIKV cases [5]. ZIKV can be transmitted in utero to the unborn fetus but there are reports of ZIKV being found in breastmilk [10]
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