A SURVEY OF AWARENESS ON NIPAH VIRUS AMONG MEDICAL FRATERNITY OF TERTIARY CARE CENTERS- A NORTH INDIAN STUDY
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Keywords
Nipah virus; Zoonotic disease; Healthcare professionals; Knowledge assessment; India
Abstract
Background: Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly lethal zoonotic pathogen causing recurrent outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia. The medical fraternity plays a crucial role in early detection, infection control, and outbreak containment, yet knowledge gaps may increase the risk of nosocomial transmission.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed Nipah virus knowledge among 658 healthcare professionals using purposive sampling over 6 months in North Indian tertiary care hospitals. A pre-tested structured questionnaire, validated by experts and piloted for reliability, covered sociodemographics, knowledge (etiology, transmission, diagnosis), attitudes, and practices. Data were analyzed descriptively as frequencies and percentages.
Results: Most participants correctly identified Nipah virus as the causative agent (87%) and fruit bats as the natural reservoir (68%). However, awareness of the zoonotic nature, Indian outbreak history, and diagnostic methods was only moderate. Many respondents incorrectly identified Kerala instead of Siliguri as the site of the first Indian outbreak, and social media/internet was the main information source.
Conclusion: Although overall awareness was satisfactory, important gaps remained in outbreak history, transmission, and diagnostic knowledge. Targeted educational interventions and structured infection-control training are needed to improve preparedness among future and current healthcare professionals.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Dr. Jyoti Mehra
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Hind Institute of Medical Sciences , Mau, Ataria, Sitapur, UP.
Dr. Ankita Sharma
PG demonstrator, Department of Community Medicine, Birsa Munda Government Medical College, Shahdol, MP
Dr. Kiran K
Consultant, TB - Technical support network, Govt of India-World Health Organisation, New Delhi.
Dr. Kripashankar Nayak
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Rajkiya Medical College, Orai, Jalaun, UP.
