Surrey Summary – Public Awareness is Critical in Fighting

Public Awareness is Critical in Fighting Infectious Diseases Date: January 29, 2018 Source: University of Surrey Summary: Campaigns to educate the public about how to recognize the signs and symptoms of infectious diseases and how to avoid them play a key role in preventing the spread of these infections, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Surrey, in collaboration with an international team of scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Azerbaijan Republic Veterinary Laboratory and the State Veterinary Service, and Washington State University thoroughly investigated the effectiveness of public education campaigns on rabies, an infectious disease. Public awareness campaigns aimed at recognizing the signs and symptoms of infectious diseases and preventing them play an important role in preventing the spread of these infections, reports a new study in the journal Epidemiology and Infection. Dr. Dan Horton, professor of veterinary virology at the University of Surrey, said: “Infectious diseases pose a serious threat to human health and place a heavy economic burden on health care systems. To combat this threat, researchers have launched a public health campaign using posters, pamphlets and text messages to improve knowledge and understanding of the disease in Azerbaijan’s high-risk region, a country at an important location between Europe and Asia. “Public awareness is critical in the fight against infectious diseases. ScienceDaily.” Public awareness is essential in the fight against infectious diseases. To evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, researchers went back and worked with 600 targeted families in the original campaign area, as well as families in two provinces that had not received rabies information. 30, 2020 The new study examines the local perception of Chagas disease in an area where the causative agent is endemic. Although Western Europe is free of rabies, it remains a threat to human and animal health within its borders. This study shows that even a simple information campaign can have a positive effect. They found that the information campaign not only improved knowledge about rabies, but more importantly, made people more willing to vaccinate their dogs. Because rabies is transmitted by dogs, vaccinating dogs is the most effective way to reduce the burden of the disease on dogs and people. Assess the impact of public education on an avoidable zoonosis: rabies.