ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PARASITIC ZOONOSES AMONG MEDICAL AND VETERINARY MEDICINE STUDENTS

Authors

Keywords:

public health, infectious diseases, prevent

Abstract

Parasitic and infectious diseases are of great importance to public health, with 61% of human pathogens being of animal origin. To properly identify and prevent these diseases, it is necessary to train well-trained health professionals. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge of principal parasitic zoonoses among students enrolled in Medicine (M) and Veterinary Medicine (VM) courses, using questionnaires administered before and after completion of the Parasitic Diseases Course (PDC) or equivalent courses (EC) at federal universities in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The questions addressed knowledge about scabies, cysticercosis, tungiasis, cutaneous larva migrans, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. There was a significant difference when citing a type of parasitic zoonosis when comparing students before and after taking PDC/EC (P = 0.0045), with having taken the course increasing the chance of correct answers by four times and being a VM student increasing the chance of correct citation by three times (P = 0.0162). A statistically significant difference was observed in the understanding of transmission modes for scabies (P = 0.0137) and toxoplasmosis (P = 0.0023) among students who had completed PDC/EC compared to those who had not. Specifically, completion of the course was associated with a nearly three times increase in the likelihood of accurately identifying the transmission modes of these diseases. The results revealed that students enrolled in the VM course at the universities under study demonstrated superior understanding and knowledge of parasitic zoonoses, particularly regarding the modes of transmission. It becomes essential to provide more detailed information on this topic in the M course curricula, enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the epidemiological chain of zoonoses and facilitating the adoption of preventive measures by these professionals.

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Author Biography

  • Carolina Angélica Libório Machado, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco

    Doutora em Biociência Animal

    Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (UNIVASF)

     

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Published

2025-10-27

How to Cite

LIBÓRIO MACHADO, Carolina Angélica; ALMEIDA RODRIGUES DE SOUZA, Eline; MENESES BARBOZA DE OLIVEIRA, Glauber; CLAUDIO HORTA, Mauricio. ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PARASITIC ZOONOSES AMONG MEDICAL AND VETERINARY MEDICINE STUDENTS. Journal of Education of the São Francisco Valley, [S. l.], v. 15, n. 37, p. 1–27, 2025. Disponível em: https://periodicos.univasf.edu.br/revasf/article/view/3217. Acesso em: 10 nov. 2026.