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DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.author | Liyanage, A. | |
dc.contributor.author | Chandrasena, N. | |
dc.contributor.author | Gunathilaka, N. | |
dc.contributor.author | Sanjeewa, R. | |
dc.contributor.author | Premaratna, R. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2022-07-26T06:58:31Z | |
dc.date.available | 2022-07-26T06:58:31Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2022 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2022; 15(5); 206-212 | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 1995-7645 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/24944 | |
dc.description | IN Indexed in Scopus; SCI Expanded; Not in PUBMED/MEDLINE | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | Objective: To assess public knowledge, practices and perceptions on typhus fevers in Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive study was done in four selected typhus- prone areas in Southern Sri Lanka. A mixed-method was employed using face-to-face interviews and questionnaire-based surveys among confirmed cases of typhus and at-risk populations, respectively. Frequencies, percentages, and means were used to characterize socio-demography and evaluate disease awareness. Results: The lay terms for typhus fevers reported in the studied region were “peacock fever”, “tick fever” and “bird fever”. A total of 499 subjects participated [mean±SD, (45±16) years] in the questionnaire-based survey, and 13.6% (n=68) reported past experience of typhus fever, 1.2% (n=6) identified the disease as “typhus” while 58.7% (n=293) and 11.8% (n=59) knew it as ‘peacock fever’ and ‘tick fever’, respectively. The etiological agent was unknown to 95.2% (n=475), but 53.5% ((n=267) were aware that it was vector-borne. Fever (57.3%, n=286), eschar (35.7%, n=178), headache (22.0%, n=267) and myalgia (19.2%, n=96) were identified as key symptoms. Past disease experience was significantly associated with higher awareness of the main disease symptoms (fever: χ2=15.713, P<0.001; headache: χ2=19.447, P<0.001; lymphadenopathy: Fisher’s exact test, P=0.023; eschar: χ2=12.049, P<0.001). None knew of any disease prevention methods. Participants with a past history of typhus fever had sought treatment at state hospitals (55.9%, 38/68) and private sector hospitals (5.9%, 4/68). Conclusions: Public awareness on preventive practices for typhus fevers was rare among the participants though vector-borne aspect was known to many. Clinical disease awareness was deficient among those without past experience of typhus fever. Community sensitization on vector avoidance strategies is highly recommended. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications | en_US |
dc.subject | Typhus fevers | en_US |
dc.title | Public knowledge, practices and perceptions on typhus fevers in Southern Sri Lanka | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |
dc.creator.corporateauthor | Hainan Medical University | en |
Appears in Collections: | Journal/Magazine Articles |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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APJTM 2022-15-206.pdf | 410.64 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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