Public perceptions about the emerging human monkey pox disease and vaccination in twin cities of Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

摘要

Background:The monkey pox virus is caused by monkey pox(MPX),which is similar to both smallpox and cowpox.Near tropical rain forests,it usually occurs in isolated communities in Central and West Africa.The monkey pox virus,a member of the family Poxviridae and belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus.Close contact with infected animals,sick people,or contaminated inanimate things can cause the virus to spread to humans.The illness typically takes 7 to 14 days to incubate and is characterized by fever,headache,lethargy,myalgia,generalized body pains,lymph node swelling,and skin lesions.Given the variety of illnesses that can result in skin rashes,it could be challenging to differentiate monkey pox solely based on clinical presentation,particularly for patients with an uncommon look.Objective:The main objective of the study is to evaluate public perceptions regarding the emerging human monkey pox disease and vaccination.Methods:The study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design.The sample size was 472 participants;however,10 questionnaires were excluded because of invalid data.The 462 questionnaires were included by expert validation from the general public of Rawalpindi and Islamabad,Pakistan.The data were analyzed using Chi-squared tests.Results:This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 Sep to 15 Oct 2022.The participants’perceptions,knowledge,and attitudes were collected via a 24-item-based questionnaire survey.The survey was based on 462 participants,196(42.4%)were females,and 266(57.6%)were males.The results reveal that out of 462 participants,clinical symptoms of monkey pox disease 82.7%(382),complications of monkey pox disease 81.2%(375),lymphadenopathy(swollen lymph nodes)is one clinical feature that could be used to differentiate between monkey pox and smallpox 81.2%(375)and monkey pox is common in Western and Central Africa 24.2%(112).Furthermore,the majority of participants(P≤0.05)agreed that health officials should start a vaccination campaign to combat monkey pox.Regarding preventive measures and vaccination campaigns,health officials should take public preventive measures 79.7%(368)and health officials start a vaccination campaign against monkey pox disease 56.3%(260).Conclusion:There was a significant difference seen in the public perception regarding monkey pox preventive measures and vaccination.The International health authorities must take priority-based preventative measures to prevent the spread of monkey pox disease around the world.