Attitudes and Practices from People of a Mayan Community of Mexico, Related to Tick-borne Diseases: Implications for the Design of Prevention Programs

• Main Authors: Karla Dzul-Rosado (Author), Cesar Lugo-Caballero (Author), Juan Jose Arias-Leon (Author), Freddy Pacheco-Tucuch (Author), Gaspar Peniche-Lara (Author), Jorge Zavala-Castro (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2018-06-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Tick-borne diseases are caused by several pathogens whose transmission could be associated to the life conditions of communities settled in endemic areas.<strong> </strong>We aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and prac­tices related to the exposition and prevention of tick-borne diseases among people living in a typical Mayan commu­nity of Yucatan, Mexico between Dec 2012 and May 2013.<strong><br />Methods:</strong> A directed survey was applied to 212 (100%) householders (women and men) from Teabo, Yucatan, Mex­ico. Answers and field notes were recorded and analyzed with central statistics.<strong><br />Results:</strong> People have been bitten at least once in the community, but the majority of them consider those bites innoc­uous. In addition, people do not consider prevention measures, and only a few mentioned the use of some chemicals on their backyards.<strong><br />Conclusion</strong>: This study found little awareness among the participants regarding the importance and the transmission of these diseases even though they possess a vast knowledge regarding ticks. Therefore, educational strategies and prevention programs that include these habits for its modification are required to minimize the exposition to the vec­tors.</p>

Item Description

1735-7179
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