scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Study on the Association Between Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis and One Health Knowledge in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tooba Maqsood ◽  
Khuram Shahzad ◽  
Shumaila Naz ◽  
Sami Simsek ◽  
Muhammad Sohail Afzal ◽  
...  

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that infects warm-blooded animals and humans. Approximately one third of the global population is infected by T. gondii. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the risk factors and One Health knowledge of toxoplasmosis in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. From July through December 2020, we collected data using questionnaires. The results showed that 60% of participants had heard or read about the disease, 23.3% of participants had no knowledge about the disease, and 16.8% participants were not sure about the disease. More than half of the participants (53.3%) reported that toxoplasmosis was caused by toxins, 5.3% reported that toxoplasmosis was an animal disease, 13.8% reported that toxoplasmosis was a human disease, 65.8% reported that it was both an animal and human disease, and 15.3% reported that it was neither an animal nor a human disease. Approximately 80.5% of participants reported that individuals acquired toxoplasmosis by changing cat litter. Our study findings revealed a low level of knowledge and awareness about toxoplasmosis among males. Therefore, there should be awareness programs to educate individuals about the risks of this deadly disease and to provide information on the major routes of transmission.

Author(s):  
Pragya Sinha ◽  
Praveena R. Gunagi ◽  
R. G. Viveki ◽  
Manjunath Kamble ◽  
Sunanda Halki

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is the care given to pregnant women for safe pregnancy and healthy babies. It is the most effective health intervention for preventing maternal morbidity and mortality. Health knowledge is an important element which enables women to be aware of their health status and promotes service utilization which further improves the health of the beneficiaries. This study was conducted among mothers of rural area of Belagavi with an objective to determine the level of knowledge related to ANC and the factors associated with the same.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in February-April 2018 among mothers who had delivered within one year from date of study and who had registered and availed antenatal services in field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, BIMS, Belagavi. Sample size was calculated as 161. Mothers were selected using systematic sampling. Data was collected after obtaining an informed, written consent from the participants and was compiled, tabulated and analysed in MS Excel. The results are presented as percentage and proportions and chi square test has been applied.Results: 50% participants had fair knowledge regarding ANC. The level of knowledge was found to be statistically significant with employment status and BPL status.Conclusions: The study found adequate knowledge among majority of mothers. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Hamdanieh ◽  
Louna Ftouni ◽  
Bara’a Al Jardali ◽  
Racha Ftouni ◽  
Chaymaa Rawas ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sexual and reproductive health (SRH), a globally recognized fundamental health concern and a basic human right is poorly addressed and seldom researched in the Arab world. Disregarding this aspect of health creates various obstacles to accessing SRH related services and education. This threatens the health of a female, namely through increasing the probability of unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions, augmenting the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, and most importantly, increasing the hazard of maternal and neonatal death. Thus, this study aimed to assess the level of SRH related knowledge and awareness among single unmarried women living in Lebanon. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire in both English and Arabic languages. The questionnaire included 9 sections; socio-demographic characteristics section, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) section, premarital tests section, vaccines section, menstruation and its abnormalities section, pregnancy symptoms and identification section, methods of contraception section, vitamins section, and honeymoon events section. The questionnaire was distributed among all Lebanese governorates to 491 single unmarried women living in Lebanon aged between 17 and 55 years. Student t-test and Chi-Square test were used to analyze results. Results It was found that only 8.8% of all the participants had adequate knowledge. The highest level of SRH related knowledge was about pregnancy (88.0%), and the least was about contraception (13.5%). Most of the knowledgeable participants lived in Beirut governorate (13.6%, n = 8) and had reached universities (10.3%, n = 41), but this was not statistically significant (p-value > 0.05). The effect of a prior visit to a gynecologist was statistically non-significant on the overall level of knowledge (p-value = 0.269). Conclusion Due to the inadequate level of knowledge, SRH education campaigns empowered by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with primary care physicians and gynecologists, are recommended in both the societal and academic sectors to enhance the awareness level and make SRH knowledge readily available among unmarried women aged between 17 and 55. Knowing the massive role of social media nowadays, the messages they present should contribute to enhancing the level of SRH knowledge and redirect attitudes and behaviors of unmarried females in Lebanon.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (02) ◽  
pp. 132-132
Author(s):  
Sebastian Ganz

Nathues C, Janssen E, Duengelhoef A et al. Cross-sectional study on risk factors for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus sow herd instability in German breeding herds. Acta Vet Scand 2018; 60 (1): 1–8 In mit PRRSV (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrom Virus) infizierten Schweinebeständen zeigen die Tiere oftmals ernsthafte klinische Symptome. Die Schwere der Symptomatik hängt von der Virulenz der jeweiligen Virusstämme ab. Deshalb ist die Impfung gegen diesen Erreger sinnvoll und wird empfohlen, auch wenn sie nicht immer klinische Fälle verhindert bzw. das Virus vollends eliminiert. Aufgrund dessen rückt die Prävention durch Verbesserung der innerbetrieblichen Abläufe zunehmend in den Fokus. Um solche Maßnahmen erfolgreich etablieren zu können, ist es wichtig, den epidemiologischen Status der Herde und mögliche Risikofaktoren zu kennen. Ziel der Studie war deshalb, die Prävalenz der Infektion in Sauenbetrieben in Norddeutschland zu eruieren und verschiedene Arbeitsabläufe hinsichtlich des Risikos der Erregerverbreitung zu untersuchen.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Omar Ramos-Peñafiel ◽  
Erika Areli Rosas-Gonzalez ◽  
Cristina Elizabeth Madera-Maldonado ◽  
Monica Patricia Bejarano-Rosales ◽  
Rafael García Rascón ◽  
...  

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