“Zika is everywhere”: A qualitative exploration of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards Zika virus among women of reproductive age in Iquitos, Peru

Abstract

Zika virus was reported in the rainforest city of Iquitos, Peru in 2016. The potential associa-tions between Zika and fetal neurological disorders were reported extensively in the media regarding neighboring Brazil, and led to great concern about the impact Zika could have on people’s health in Iquitos when it arrived. The aim of this study was to explore the knowl-edge, attitudes, and preventative practices related to Zika virus and its transmission among women of childbearing age in Iquitos, Peru. Six focus group discussions with 46 women of ages 20–35 from an Iquitos district with confirmed Zika cases were conducted to explore: 1) knowledge of Zika transmission, its symptoms, and treatment, 2) attitudes regarding Zika, including perceptions of risk for and severity of Zika, and 3) preventative practices, including awareness of health promotion activities. Participants were knowledgeable about Zika symptoms and knew it was transmitted by mosquitoes, and about half had heard about the association between Zika and microcephaly, but most lacked knowledge about the associ-ated neurological disorders in adults, its sexual transmission, and ways to prevent infection. They expressed concern for pregnant women exposed to the virus and the impact on the fetus. Participants felt at risk of contracting the Zika virus, yet had not changed preventive practices, possibly in part because their perception of the severity of this disease was low. This study reveals knowledge gaps that could be addressed via health promotion messages that might improve prevention practices to help community members protect themselves from Zika virus during this outbreak.