Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A survey of Tennessee veterinarian and physician attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding zoonoses prevention among animal owners with HIV infection or AIDS.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Hill, William Allen et al.
- Affiliation:
- Institute of Agriculture · United States
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how veterinarians and doctors in Tennessee feel about preventing diseases that can be passed from animals to people, especially for those with HIV infection or AIDS. The survey found that most veterinarians believe they should help educate clients with HIV about these risks, while many doctors rarely discuss these issues with their patients or reach out to veterinarians for advice. Both groups showed a lack of knowledge about which animal-related diseases are most concerning for people with weakened immune systems. The researchers suggest that better communication between veterinarians and doctors, along with more educational resources for patients, could help reduce the risk of these diseases. Overall, the study highlights the need for improved collaboration and education to protect vulnerable individuals.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of Tennessee veterinarians and physicians engaged in clinical practice regarding the risk for and prevention of zoonoses in people with HIV infection or AIDS. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE: Licensed Tennessee veterinarians and physicians engaged in clinical practice. PROCEDURES: A survey was mailed in January 2010 to 454 licensed veterinarians and 1,737 licensed physicians. RESULTS: 181 of 419 (43.20%) eligible veterinarians and 201 of 1,376 (14.61%) eligible physicians responded to the survey. A majority of both veterinarians (131/179 [73.18%]) and physicians (97/192 [50.52%]) indicated that veterinarians should always or almost always be involved in advising clients with HIV infection or AIDS. The majority of veterinarians (120/173 [69.36%]) indicated they always or almost always discussed with clients the potential risk to immune-compromised persons after diagnosing a zoonosis. A high proportion (88/94 [93.62%]) of physicians indicated they never or rarely initiated discussions about zoonoses with patients with HIV infection or AIDS. All physicians (94/94 [100%]) indicated they never or rarely contacted veterinarians for advice on zoonoses. Similarly, 174 of 180 (96.76%) veterinarians had never or rarely contacted physicians for advice on zoonoses risks. Only 25.97% of veterinarians and 33.33% of physicians were correctly able to identify zoonotic pathogens of greatest concern to people with HIV infection or AIDS. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We identified several implications for veterinary medical and medical practice that may reduce zoonoses transmission risks for people with HIV infection or AIDS, including increased communication between veterinarians and physicians, increased communication between people with HIV infection or AIDS and health-care providers, increased availability of client educational materials, and increased participation in zoonoses continuing education opportunities by health-care providers.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22657926/