Public Knowledge and Attitude toward Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Tokat Turkey

The world health organization (who) declares crimean congo hemorrhagic fever (cchf) endemicin turkey. despite the magnitude of problem, no documented evidence exists in turkey, which reveals the awarenessand practices of the country’s adult population regarding cchf, its spread, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.this study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cchf in peoplevisiting tertiary care hospital in tokat, turkey.methods: this questionnaire based cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients’ relatives or guardians whoadmitted pediatric outpatient clinics during may-july 2008. the questionnaire was composed of 25 questions.results: a total of 1034 respondents participated in the survey. sufficient knowledge about cchf was not found in28.9% of the sample. literate individuals were relatively better informed about cchf as compared to the illiteratepeople. television and radio were considered as the most important and useful source of information on the disease.conclusion: we have found insufficient knowledge on cchf in our population. it is thought to have no chance ofsuccess against a fatal disease such as cchf, which has serious consequences, without the contribution of community.it is clear that there are important tasks for health, agriculture, and media sectors to improve public knowledgeand awareness about cchf.