Knowledge, attitudes and public health response towards plague in Petauke, Zambia

In 2001, two plague outbreaks were reported in Zambia, one of which occurred in Petauke, Eastern Province, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Of the community respondents, 43.4% did not know the aetiology of plague. Although rats and fleas were frequently mentioned, many respondents did not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical doctor 2006-10, Vol.36 (4), p.223-225
Main Authors: NGULUBE, T. J, MWANZA, K, NJOBVU, M. C. A, MUULA, A. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Bacterial diseases
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Disease Outbreaks
Female
General aspects
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Personnel
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Interviews as Topic
Male
Medical sciences
Mice
Plague
Plague - epidemiology
Plague - etiology
Plague - prevention & control
Plague - transmission
Public Health
Rats
Rodent Control
Rural Health
Students
Superstitions
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tropical bacterial diseases
Yersinia pestis
Zambia - epidemiology
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Summary:In 2001, two plague outbreaks were reported in Zambia, one of which occurred in Petauke, Eastern Province, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Of the community respondents, 43.4% did not know the aetiology of plague. Although rats and fleas were frequently mentioned, many respondents did not know how these were related to plague. Local belief that the plague outbreak was the result of witchcraft was prevalent. Use of rodenticides was not preferred as these were reports of they being used for poisoning people. The public health response was initially slow by both the community and also the formal health sector. Once the diagnosis of plague was made, fears of witchcraft dispelled and collaboration not only between the formal health sector and the community, but also between Zambian health workers and their Mozambican counterparts developed, and it was possible to control the outbreak.
ISSN:0049-4755
1758-1133
DOI:10.1258/004947506778604779