Knowledge and practices about taeniasis/cysticercosis complex within the framework of the national plan for its elimination in Colombia, 2019

• Published in: Acta tropica 2023-06, Vol.242, p.106907-106907, Article 106907
• Main Authors: Gamarra-Rueda, Ramón, Knudson-Ospina, Rubiela Angélica, Olaya, Luz Adriana, Gómez, Natalia, Orellano, Ana Isabel, Navarro, Luís Fernando, Apráez, Norman Giovanni, Fernández-Niño, Julián Alfredo, López, Myriam Consuelo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Attitudes; Colombia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cysticercosis; Cysticercosis - prevention & control; Health knowledge; Helminth; Humans; Pork; Practice; Swine; Swine Diseases - parasitology; Swine Diseases - prevention & control; Taenia solium; Taeniasis - parasitology
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106907

•We developed knowledge and practice surveys on the Taeniasis/Cysticercosis complex (TCC) in two prioritized municipalities in the north and south of Colombia.•We present differences in knowledge and practices present Mahates and Mercaderes inhabitants about Taenia solium transmission and symptoms as well as housing, pig farming practices and sanitation conditions.•Interventions in education, pig management, pig treatment and sanitation improvement must be considered in view of the differences in the target population knowledge and practices during the following phases of Colombia's National and Cross-sectoral Plan for TCC Elimination. The taeniasis/cysticercosis complex (TCC) belongs to the group of neglected infectious diseases with a multifactorial transmission that includes hosts such as humans and pigs of the parasitic tapeworm (Taenia solium) and environmental factors. This study represents the first phase of the National and Cross-sectoral Plan for TCC Elimination. Objectives: To obtain data about knowledge and practices in relation to the TCC from knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) surveys applied in two pilot localities for building a baseline of the potential risk factors related to identification, prevention, and control of TCC in Colombia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey from October to November in 2019 was carried out using a structured questionnaire and random sampling by single-stage conglomerates in the municipalities of Mahates, Bolívar (n = 152) (Atlantic Region) and Mercaderes, Cauca (n = 152) (Andean Region). Results: Respondents in Mahates showed moderate knowledge about TCC compared to those in Mercaderes, however, risky practices were identified in both places (consumption of pork with cysts and defecation in places other than the bathroom or latrine). Deficiency in infrastructure and failure in basic services were observed as potential risk factors for TCC transmission in both municipalities. Conclusion: Based on the framework of the National and Cross-sectoral Plan for TCC Elimination, adequate knowledge on identification, prevention, and control of the disease must be reinforced; cultural and ecological differences should be considered when designing communication and knowledge transmission tools. We consider that major investment should be made in improving basic services and creating sustainable modernized pig farming in Mahates and Mercaderes.