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Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study

Received: 22 May 2019     Accepted: 28 June 2019     Published: 19 July 2019
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Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affects many people in some parts of Ethiopia, with occasional outbreaks. Community participation and disease trends are of paramount importance in the control of infectious diseases, including VL. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice related to VL in four endemic kebeles (sub-districts) of Libo Kemkem wereda (district), Northwest Ethiopia, and to determine the trend of VL in the same district in the last fourteen years (April 2005- December 2018). In order to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to VL, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four endemic kebeles of Libo Kemkem woreda, Northwest Ethiopia. Three hundred ninety-eight (398) study participants (200 males and 198 females) were selected by systematic random sampling and questionnaires were used to collect data. A retrospective study was done to determine the trend of VL in Libo Kemkem woreda in the past fourteen years (April 2005-December 2018) using data collected from patients’ registration book at the Addis zemen hospital and local health centers. The results from the questionnaire survey revealed that 97.7% of the respondents heard about VL before, but only 12.8% and 5.3% knew the etiologic agent and the vector of the disease, respectively. Nearly all respondents (97.2%) believed that health education is necessary to minimize the challenges of the disease. Close to half (44.5%) of the respondents believed that a complete cure of the disease is possible. Approximately 88% of the respondents did not practice anything to protect themselves from the Sand fly bite. The occurrence of VL in Libo Kemkem wereda decreased from 2005 to 2008 and then gradually increased in the next five years (2008 to 2013) and slightly decreased over the last five years (2013-2018). The disease spread to 27 kebeles (subdistricts) in recent years. The overall study revealed that the local societies have a low level of knowledge, attitude, and practice related to VL. VL showed a little decreasing trend over the recent consecutive years. Hence, educating the local community about VL and mobilizing them to take preventive measures is crucial in effective control of VL in the study area.

Published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy (Volume 4, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12
Page(s) 23-28
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Visceral Leishmaniasis, Trend

References
[1] Ready, P. D. Biology of Phlebotomine Sand Flies as Vectors of Disease Agents. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 58, 227–250 (2013).
[2] Chappuis, F., Sundar, S., Hailu, A., … H. G.-N. reviews & 2007, undefined. Visceral leishmaniasis: what are the needs for diagnosis, treatment and control? nature.com.
[3] Alvar, J., Yactayo, S., parasitology, C. B.-T. in & 2006, undefined. Leishmaniasis and poverty. Elsevier.
[4] Alvar, J. et al. Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence. PLoS One 7, e35671 (2012).
[5] Argaw, D. et al. Risk Factors for Visceral Leishmaniasis among Residents and Migrants in Kafta-Humera, Ethiopia. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 7, e2543 (2013).
[6] Singh, S., Reddy, D., Mishra, R., of, S. S.-T. A. journal & 2006, undefined. Knowledge, attitude, and practices related to Kala-azar in a rural area of Bihar state, India. ASTMH.
[7] Berhe, M. et al. Knowledge Attitude and Practice towards Visceral Leishmaniasis among Residents and Health Professionals in Welkait District, Western Tigray, Ethiopia. J. Trop. Dis. 06, 4–11 (2018).
[8] Alemu, A. et al. Knowledge, attitude and practices related to visceral leishmaniasis among residents in Addis Zemen town, South Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Public Health 13, (2013).
[9] Sayed, S. El, Journal, S. A.-A. & 2001, undefined. Socio-cultural aspects of Kala-azar among Masalit and Hawsa tribes. search.proquest.com.
[10] Siddiqui, N. A. et al. Awareness about kala-azar disease and related preventive attitudes and practices in a highly endemic rural area of India. Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health 41, 1–12 (2010).
[11] Singh, S., Hasker, E., … A. P.-T. medicine & & 2010, undefined. Risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis in India: further evidence on the role of domestic animals. Wiley Online Libr.
[12] Gebremichael Tedla, D., Bariagabr, F. H. & Abreha, H. H. Incidence and Trends of Leishmaniasis and Its Risk Factors in Humera, Western Tigray. J. Parasitol. Res. 2018, 1–9 (2018).
[13] Adam, G. K. et al. Trend in cumulative cases and mortality rate among visceral leishmaniasis patients in Eastern Sudan: a 14-year registry, 2002–2015. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 51, 81–84 (2016).
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    Walelign Azene Demelash, Dagim Jirata Birri. (2019). Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study. International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy, 4(2), 23-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12

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    Walelign Azene Demelash; Dagim Jirata Birri. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study. Int. J. Infect. Dis. Ther. 2019, 4(2), 23-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12

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    AMA Style

    Walelign Azene Demelash, Dagim Jirata Birri. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study. Int J Infect Dis Ther. 2019;4(2):23-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12,
      author = {Walelign Azene Demelash and Dagim Jirata Birri},
      title = {Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study},
      journal = {International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy},
      volume = {4},
      number = {2},
      pages = {23-28},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijidt.20190402.12},
      abstract = {Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affects many people in some parts of Ethiopia, with occasional outbreaks. Community participation and disease trends are of paramount importance in the control of infectious diseases, including VL. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice related to VL in four endemic kebeles (sub-districts) of Libo Kemkem wereda (district), Northwest Ethiopia, and to determine the trend of VL in the same district in the last fourteen years (April 2005- December 2018). In order to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to VL, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four endemic kebeles of Libo Kemkem woreda, Northwest Ethiopia. Three hundred ninety-eight (398) study participants (200 males and 198 females) were selected by systematic random sampling and questionnaires were used to collect data. A retrospective study was done to determine the trend of VL in Libo Kemkem woreda in the past fourteen years (April 2005-December 2018) using data collected from patients’ registration book at the Addis zemen hospital and local health centers. The results from the questionnaire survey revealed that 97.7% of the respondents heard about VL before, but only 12.8% and 5.3% knew the etiologic agent and the vector of the disease, respectively. Nearly all respondents (97.2%) believed that health education is necessary to minimize the challenges of the disease. Close to half (44.5%) of the respondents believed that a complete cure of the disease is possible. Approximately 88% of the respondents did not practice anything to protect themselves from the Sand fly bite. The occurrence of VL in Libo Kemkem wereda decreased from 2005 to 2008 and then gradually increased in the next five years (2008 to 2013) and slightly decreased over the last five years (2013-2018). The disease spread to 27 kebeles (subdistricts) in recent years. The overall study revealed that the local societies have a low level of knowledge, attitude, and practice related to VL. VL showed a little decreasing trend over the recent consecutive years. Hence, educating the local community about VL and mobilizing them to take preventive measures is crucial in effective control of VL in the study area.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Visceral Leishmaniasis and Its Trend in Libo Kem Kem Wereda, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Study
    AU  - Walelign Azene Demelash
    AU  - Dagim Jirata Birri
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12
    T2  - International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy
    JF  - International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy
    JO  - International Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy
    SP  - 23
    EP  - 28
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-966X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijidt.20190402.12
    AB  - Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) affects many people in some parts of Ethiopia, with occasional outbreaks. Community participation and disease trends are of paramount importance in the control of infectious diseases, including VL. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice related to VL in four endemic kebeles (sub-districts) of Libo Kemkem wereda (district), Northwest Ethiopia, and to determine the trend of VL in the same district in the last fourteen years (April 2005- December 2018). In order to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to VL, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four endemic kebeles of Libo Kemkem woreda, Northwest Ethiopia. Three hundred ninety-eight (398) study participants (200 males and 198 females) were selected by systematic random sampling and questionnaires were used to collect data. A retrospective study was done to determine the trend of VL in Libo Kemkem woreda in the past fourteen years (April 2005-December 2018) using data collected from patients’ registration book at the Addis zemen hospital and local health centers. The results from the questionnaire survey revealed that 97.7% of the respondents heard about VL before, but only 12.8% and 5.3% knew the etiologic agent and the vector of the disease, respectively. Nearly all respondents (97.2%) believed that health education is necessary to minimize the challenges of the disease. Close to half (44.5%) of the respondents believed that a complete cure of the disease is possible. Approximately 88% of the respondents did not practice anything to protect themselves from the Sand fly bite. The occurrence of VL in Libo Kemkem wereda decreased from 2005 to 2008 and then gradually increased in the next five years (2008 to 2013) and slightly decreased over the last five years (2013-2018). The disease spread to 27 kebeles (subdistricts) in recent years. The overall study revealed that the local societies have a low level of knowledge, attitude, and practice related to VL. VL showed a little decreasing trend over the recent consecutive years. Hence, educating the local community about VL and mobilizing them to take preventive measures is crucial in effective control of VL in the study area.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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