Health, 2021, 13, 1410-1430
https://www.scirp.org/journal/health
ISSN Online: 1949-5005
ISSN Print: 1949-4998
DOI: 10.4236/health.2021.1311101 Nov. 30, 2021 1410 Health
Knowledge of Zika Virus Disease Prevention
Methods, among Female Caregivers That
Bring Babies for Immunization in a
Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria
Edmund O. Ndibuagu
1,2,3*
, Peter E. Chime
2,4
, Sylvester O. Nweze
2,3,5
1
Department of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care, Enugu State University College of Medicine,
Enugu, Nigeria
2
Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
3
Esucom Health Care Delivery Research Initiative, Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu, Nigeria
4
Department of Medicine, Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu, Nigeria
5
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu, Nigeria
Abstract
Zika virus disease is a disease of public health importance and was declared a
“Public Health Emergency of International Concern”, by the World Health
Organization on February 1, 2016. It is mostly transmitted through the bite of
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitos. Transmission can also occur
through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse. It could cause microce-
phaly and other neurological problems in newborns and adults, such as Guil-
lain-Barre syndrome. It could also lead to abortion and stillbirth in pregnant
women. Prevention methods are essentially targeted at transmission routes,
which are mosquito bite, sexual intercourse, and blood transfusion. The study
was of observational, descriptive, cross-sectional design, and conducted in a
tertiary health institution in the Southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Two
hundred and fifty-six female caregivers participated in the study, with most of
them being within the childbearing age group, and educated up to tertiary
level. The objective was to assess the knowledge of Zika virus infection pre-
vention methods, among female caregivers that bring babies for immuniza-
tion in a Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria. Out of the eight questions that
sought to assess the knowledge level of the respondents, they scored 50% and
above only in three, which were on prevention through protection against
mosquito bite (60.5%), avoiding unnecessary blood transfusion in endemic
areas (53.9%), and avoidance of oily meals not being a preventive measure
(51.2%). Respondents in the childbearing age group, and those with higher
How to cite this paper: Ndibuagu, E.O.,
Chime, P.E. and Nweze, S.O. (2021)
Knowledge of Zika Virus Disease Preven-
tion Methods, among Female Caregivers
That Bring Babies for Immunization in a
Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria. Health,
13, 1410-1430.
https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2021.1311101
Received: September 26, 2021
Accepted: November 27, 2021
Published: November 30, 2021
Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access