Self-reported knowledge, attitudes and concerns about zoonoses among general practitioners in the Netherlands

Abstract

Introduction

Adequate zoonosis literacy among general practitioners (GPs) is essential for signaling and managing zoonotic outbreaks and potential emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). This study aimed to assess Dutch GP's knowledge, attitudes and concerns about zoonoses and their impact on GPs' self-reported confidence in diagnosing and screening for zoonotic risk factors in daily practice.

Method

Data was collected in 2023 using an online questionnaire directed at GPs working in clinical practice in the Netherlands. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to assess whether there were significant associations of socio-demographic factors and other characteristics of GPs with their self-reported confidence.

Results

Of the 332 participating GPs, 12.1 % reported feeling confident in diagnosing and managing zoonoses, and 44.1 % felt insecure about this. The vast majority (80.4 %) indicated that they rarely or never discuss potential risks and prevention strategies for zoonoses in relevant patients. GPs were relatively less likely to feel insecure about zoonoses if they had more years of practice, a better knowledge about infectious disease notification laws, reported notifiable diseases to municipal health services, and diagnosed zoonoses more than once a year. In patients with neurological diseases, fever, infectious respiratory diseases, and skin infections, 44 %, 42 %, 32 % and 9 % of GPs reported never asking about contact with animals or exposure to nature, respectively.

Conclusion

This study revealed that awareness about zoonoses and confidence in diagnosing them are generally low among Dutch GPs. A low response rate and the self-reported data may have led to an overestimation of their confidence. Therefore, additional training and targeted information would be beneficial to enhance awareness.