Knowledge, Misperceptions, Preparedness, and Barriers towards Lassa Fever Control among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Institution in Enugu, Nigeria

摘要

Background. Lassa fever outbreaks are common in Nigeria. The study aimed to assess knowledge, misperception, preparedness and barriers towards Lassa fever among health care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary hospital in Enugu. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study among 400 HCWs of a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Results. The study showed that 56.5% had fair knowledge while 42.0% and 1.5% had poor and good knowledge, respectively. Over 84% had good risk perception of acquiring Lassa fever while 15.8% had poor risk perception. Only 13% received training on emergency preparedness while 90.3% desired this training. Associations between occupation and knowledge were significant. Barriers to Lassa fever control were non-availability of infection control tools, lack of training on preparedness, absence of local laboratory, and non-availability of ribavirin. Conclusion. The study showed poor level of preparedness for Lassa fever and recommended routine training of HCWs on emergency preparedness.