Knowledge of the tranmission routes of zoonoses and their impact on the health of the residents of the community “24 de Junio”, Paraguay

Abstract

Background:

Zoonotic diseases are a group of infectious diseases that are transmitted naturally from animals to humans. The greatest risk of transmission occurs through direct or indirect exposure to animals, the products derived from these. The objective was to evaluate the degree of knowledge of the inhabitants of the Community “June 24” about zoonoses and its association with sociodemographic factors.

Methods:

Descriptive observational study with analytical component, cross-sectional sampling, non-probabilistic for convenience, between April to August 2019 in the Community “June 24”. A p <0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

128 cases were analyzed. The majority of the female sex with 88.3% (115) with ages between 18 to 70 years (36.78 ± 11.83). In the risk factors, it is highlighted that most have pets that are vectors of diseases, these pets receive veterinary attention with current management based on vaccination. The cognitive profile of zoonotic diseases shows that they recognize that pets can be a risk factor for transmission, adopt vaccination as a primary preventive measure and the veterinarian as a professional in case of consulting, have knowledge about Rabies, Toxoplasmosis and Leishmaniasis. Association of the sex variable with the knowledge variables did not show significant values (p> 0.05).

Conclusion:

The inhabitants have the basic knowledge of zoonosis; however, the constant awareness and updated information stands out. More powerful future studies are recommended to confirm these findings.

Received: 17/02/2021 Accepted: 10/03/2021