Graduate Students Survey Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Nicaragua

In summer 2016, Dr. Megan Quinn, Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology led an interprofessional group of students to Nicaragua, as a part of Interprofessional Perspectives on Global Health course.  The major project for the course was to assist local health promoters to complete a community wide survey on mosquito borne illness/disease in Nicaragua.  The goals of the survey were to assess community knowledge regarding mosquito borne diseases, prevention methods, and community concerns about mosquito borne disease.

Students from the MPH, MD and PharmD programs at ETSU participated in the course.

As a part of the survey, 81.9% of the homes in the Nueva Vida community of Ciudad Sandino were surveyed representing over 5,700 individuals.  This group reported over 1500 cases of mosquito borne disease (malaria, dengue, chikungunya) including 12 cases diagnosed as Zika.  The actual prevalence of these conditions, while high, is uncertain, since self-diagnosis is common.     

The Center for Development in Central America, who requested the survey, is using the results to support an application for more resources, Zika tests, education, monitoring of pregnant women, and expanding the family planning program until more is known about the virus.  The Center also plans to provide more community education. 

Sarah Woodard of the Center for Development in Central America stated, “We also used the survey as an opportunity to not only gather information from each household but also to pass out information on the diseases (symptoms and when to go to the doctor or hospital) and how to cut down on the mosquito population.”