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Community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to tick-borne relapsing fever in dodoma rural district, central Tanzania.

Kisinza, W N, Talbert, A, Mutalemwa, P and McCall, Philip ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-3985 (2008) 'Community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to tick-borne relapsing fever in dodoma rural district, central Tanzania.'. Tanzania journal of health research, Vol 10, Issue 3, pp. 131-6.

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Abstract

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF) is a vector-borne disease of humans which causes serious illness, primarily for children under five years old and pregnant women. Understanding people's knowledge, attitude and practices on the disease is important in designing appropriate interventions. This study was conducted to explore community knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding TBRF transmission and control to provide baseline data for the planned scaling up of intervention in Dodoma rural District in central Tanzania. A total of 198 heads of households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Of these, 94.5% were aware of TBRF. Fever of unknown origin (69.5%), body pain (8.5%), headache (8.5%), chills (4.5%) and vomiting (3.5%) were the most commonly mentioned symptoms. The domestic tick-infestation and tick-bites was known to 82.8%. High domestic tick infestation reported to occur during dry season (85.4%). The majority believed that the disease spreads through tick-bites (85.9%). Regular plastering of house floors and walls was the most common method used by the community to control domestic tick infestation (96.5 %). Majority (84.3%) of the respondents preferred public healthcare facilities for treatment. Only a small proportion (15.7%) preferred using traditional medicines. Poor knowledge of the study subjects about the disease and its control underscores the need for health educational campaigns if any control and/or elimination programme is to succeed.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: QX Parasitology > Arthropods > QX 479 Ticks
WA Public Health > WA 105 Epidemiology
WA Public Health > Preventive Medicine > WA 110 Prevention and control of communicable diseases. Transmission of infectious diseases
WC Communicable Diseases > Infection. Bacterial Infections > Other Bacterial Infections. Zoonotic Bacterial Infections > WC 406 Borrelia infections. Lyme disease
WC Communicable Diseases > Infection. Bacterial Infections > Other Bacterial Infections. Zoonotic Bacterial Infections > WC 410 Relapsing fever
WQ Obstetrics > Pregnancy Complications > WQ 256 Infectious diseases
WS Pediatrics > By Age Groups > WS 430 Infancy
WS Pediatrics > By Age Groups > WS 440 Preschool child
Faculty: Department: Groups (2002 - 2012) > Vector Group
Depositing User: Users 183 not found.
Date Deposited: 07 Oct 2010 13:09
Last Modified: 06 Feb 2018 13:02
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1657

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