Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The disease affects various high-risk groups including army personnel, who are at risk because of field activities that bring them into close contac...Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The disease affects various high-risk groups including army personnel, who are at risk because of field activities that bring them into close contact with zoonotic reservoirs. This cross-sectional study determined the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among 616 asymptomatic army personnel in Northeastern Malaysia. Sociodemographic data were obtained using validated questionnaires. Serological screening for leptospirosis was performed using an ELISA method and confirmed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Samples indeterminate and positive according to ELISA (n = 117) were sent for MAT testing. A MAT titer ≥ 100 was considered positive evidence of exposure to leptospirosis. The overall seroprevalence of leptospirosis among the subjects was 16.2% (95% confidence interval: 13.32, 19.15). The most common reaction obtained with the sera tested by MAT was against a strain of Leptospira spp. isolated from Terengganu (38.3%) followed by L. biflexa serovar Patoc (35.2%). In conclusion, the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among army personnel in Northeastern Malaysia is high.展开更多
Community-based interventions in prevention and control of leptospirosis, have been uniformly unsuccessful. Individual counseling and health education play an important role in the prevention and control of the diseas...Community-based interventions in prevention and control of leptospirosis, have been uniformly unsuccessful. Individual counseling and health education play an important role in the prevention and control of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of intervention on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) score on leptospirosis among the army personnel after receiving a health education given. A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitude and practice at pre- and post-intervention. A total of 188 army personnel from the two camps involved in this study with 94 respondents in control and intervention groups respectively. Leptospirosis Health Education Module (LHEM) was given to the intervention group. There was significant improvement in knowledge score before and after intervention done (mean difference = 24.25, 95% CI: 21.93, 26.56;p −14.13, 95% CI: −15.82, −12.45;p −0.72, 1.55;p > 0.05). For the intervention effect, the subjects in intervention group had significantly higher mean attitude score as compared to the subjects in control group (mean difference = −2.12, 95% CI: −2.99, −1.24;p −0.47, 1.98;p > 0.05). For the intervention effect regardless of time, the subjects in intervention group had significantly higher mean practice score as compared to the subjects in control group (mean difference = 4.16, 95% CI: 2.80, 5.52;p < 0.001). The leptospirosis health education module was found to cause improvement in KAP score in the intervention group.展开更多
文摘Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The disease affects various high-risk groups including army personnel, who are at risk because of field activities that bring them into close contact with zoonotic reservoirs. This cross-sectional study determined the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among 616 asymptomatic army personnel in Northeastern Malaysia. Sociodemographic data were obtained using validated questionnaires. Serological screening for leptospirosis was performed using an ELISA method and confirmed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Samples indeterminate and positive according to ELISA (n = 117) were sent for MAT testing. A MAT titer ≥ 100 was considered positive evidence of exposure to leptospirosis. The overall seroprevalence of leptospirosis among the subjects was 16.2% (95% confidence interval: 13.32, 19.15). The most common reaction obtained with the sera tested by MAT was against a strain of Leptospira spp. isolated from Terengganu (38.3%) followed by L. biflexa serovar Patoc (35.2%). In conclusion, the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among army personnel in Northeastern Malaysia is high.
文摘Community-based interventions in prevention and control of leptospirosis, have been uniformly unsuccessful. Individual counseling and health education play an important role in the prevention and control of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of intervention on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) score on leptospirosis among the army personnel after receiving a health education given. A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitude and practice at pre- and post-intervention. A total of 188 army personnel from the two camps involved in this study with 94 respondents in control and intervention groups respectively. Leptospirosis Health Education Module (LHEM) was given to the intervention group. There was significant improvement in knowledge score before and after intervention done (mean difference = 24.25, 95% CI: 21.93, 26.56;p −14.13, 95% CI: −15.82, −12.45;p −0.72, 1.55;p > 0.05). For the intervention effect, the subjects in intervention group had significantly higher mean attitude score as compared to the subjects in control group (mean difference = −2.12, 95% CI: −2.99, −1.24;p −0.47, 1.98;p > 0.05). For the intervention effect regardless of time, the subjects in intervention group had significantly higher mean practice score as compared to the subjects in control group (mean difference = 4.16, 95% CI: 2.80, 5.52;p < 0.001). The leptospirosis health education module was found to cause improvement in KAP score in the intervention group.
