Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Health-Care Providers Regarding Zika Virus Infection

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. The study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding ZIKV infection among rural health-care providers in Aligarh district, Uttar Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 600 health-care providers were selected through stratified random sampling in an interventional survey. A self-structured, closed-ended questionnaire was administered to each participant in two phases to record their demographic, professional characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding ZIKV. RESULTS: Out of 600 health-care workers contacted, 585 (97.5%) agreed to participate in the survey. Multivariable linear regression analysis was carried out to assess the association of participant's professional characteristics with their knowledge, attitude, and practices. CONCLUSION: It showed that there was a wide gap between the level of awareness, knowledge, and practice among the different categories of health-care providers about the ZIKV. This study revealed that there was a very high probability of the risk of transmission of ZIKAV through health-care settings and hence health-care personnel must strictly adhere to Universal Precautions to prevent it.