German population lacks knowledge of Ebola virus transmission risk

Misperceptions regarding the risk for transmission of Ebola virus was prevalent among residents of Germany at the peak of the 2014 epidemic in West Africa, according to recent findings.

Researchers surveyed 974 citizens aged 15 to 69 years in four districts of Lower Saxony about Ebola virus disease (EVD). The questionnaire, administered during November 2014, included 27 questions that covered: worries about EVD, perceived personal risk for infection, awareness of potential transmission routes, individual reactions to the EVD outbreak, beliefs concerning specific measures for preventing EVD spread to Europe, willingness to volunteer in EVD-eradicating efforts in West Africa, and attitudes toward EVD vaccination.

Participants were asked if they had altered their behavior because of the EVD outbreak, and whether or how they would modify their behavior if an EVD patient were flown to Germany for treatment at a local hospital. The survey also asked if respondents would cancel a previously scheduled flight to Africa, and whether respondents thought specific EVD prevention initiatives should be introduced in Europe.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported being worried about EVD. Four percent were able to accurately identify virus transmission routes, and 75% incorrectly categorized airborne transmission and transmission by asymptomatic patients as a possibility. When asked whether EVD could spread to the general population of Germany as it did in West African countries, 8% of respondents who were worried about EVD and 1.6% of those not worried about EVD answered “yes.” About 87% of participants said they would change their behavior if an EVD patient were transported to a nearby hospital for care; 38.7% reported that they would volunteer to work in West Africa if needed and if their health and personal circumstances would allow for such work.

According to the researchers, the misinformation reflected in these findings calls for improved media content targeted to the general public.

“A substantial proportion of the study population demonstrated poor knowledge about the transmission modes of Ebola virus and about the actual risks in a European country during the 2014 EVD epidemic in West Africa,” the researchers wrote. “Increased media use was not associated with better knowledge, underscoring the need to improve quality of content reported by the media.” – by Jen Byrne

Disclosure: Relevant financial disclosures were not available at the time of publication.