Level of Knowledge regarding Monkeypox among Peruvian Physicians during the 2022 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gonzales-Zamora, Jose; Soriano‐Moreno, David R.; Soriano Moreno, Anderson Nelver Elías; Ponce-Rosas, Linda; Sangster-Carrasco, Lucero; De-Los-Rios-Pinto, Abraham; Benito-Vargas, Raysa M.; Murrieta-Ruiz, Valentina; Morocho-Alburqueque, Noelia; Caira‐Chuquineyra, Brenda; Fernandez‐Guzman, Daniel; Ccami‐Bernal, Fabricio; Quispe‐Vicuña, Carlos; Alarcon-Parra, Mariano; Pinedo-Soria, Antony; Alave Rosas, Jorge Luis

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2156493/v1

Level of Knowledge regarding Monkeypox among Peruvian Physicians during the 2022 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author(s)

Gonzales-Zamora, Jose

University of Miami

Soriano‐Moreno, David R.

Universidad Peruana Unión

Soriano Moreno, Anderson Nelver Elías

Universidad Peruana Unión

Ponce-Rosas, Linda

Sangster-Carrasco, Lucero

Peruvian University of Applied Sciences

De-Los-Rios-Pinto, Abraham

National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco

Benito-Vargas, Raysa M.

National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco

Murrieta-Ruiz, Valentina

Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana

Morocho-Alburqueque, Noelia

Universidad Nacional de Piura

Caira‐Chuquineyra, Brenda

Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola

Fernandez‐Guzman, Daniel

Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola

Ccami‐Bernal, Fabricio

Universidad Nacional de San Agustin de Arequipa

Quispe‐Vicuña, Carlos

National University of San Marcos

Alarcon-Parra, Mariano

EsSALUD

Pinedo-Soria, Antony

Universidad Nacional de San Martín

Alave Rosas, Jorge Luis

Universidad Peruana Unión

Date Issued

12 de octubre de 2022

Type

Preprint

Series/Report No.

Research Square

DOI

10.21203/rs.3.rs-2156493/v1

Abstract

Introduction: Monkeypox has become a public health emergency given the rapid spread of the disease worldwide. Due to the high incidence of this disease in Peru and the poor knowledge about monkeypox among healthcare workers in non-endemic countries, it is crucial to determine the knowledge status of Peruvian physicians. Methodology: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey from August to September 2022. Physicians who had a medical license and lived and practiced Medicine in Peru were included. To evaluate the factors associated with a higher level of knowledge, we used crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using Poisson regression. Results We included 463 physicians. The mean age was 36.6 (SD: 10.3) years, and most were male (58.1%). Regarding knowledge, the median knowledge score was 14 [IQR: 13 to 15] out of 17 points. In terms of knowledge gaps, only 60.7% of the participants knew that there was an FDA-approved vaccine for monkeypox, 49.0% of participants knew about monkeypox proctitis and 33.3% acknowledged that it could be transmitted by the bite of an infected rodent. We found that taking care of patients with monkeypox (aPR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.72) was associated with a higher knowledge (> p50) while living in the jungle (aPR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.91) was associated with lower knowledge (< p50). Conclusions Our study showed a high level of knowledge about monkeypox among Peruvian physicians. However, educational campaigns may be necessary, especially for physicians from the jungle and those who do not have clinical experience in monkeypox.