Level of Knowledge regarding Monkeypox among Peruvian Physicians during the 2022 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Monkeypox has become a public health emergency given the rapid spread of the disease worldwide. Due to the high incidence of this disease in Peru and the poor knowledge about monkeypox among healthcare workers in non-endemic countries, it is crucial to determine the knowledge status of Peruvian physicians. Methodology: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey from August to September 2022. Physicians who had a medical license and lived and practiced Medicine in Peru were included. To evaluate the factors associated with a higher level of knowledge, we used crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using Poisson regression. Results We included 463 physicians. The mean age was 36.6 (SD: 10.3) years, and most were male (58.1%). Regarding knowledge, the median knowledge score was 14 [IQR: 13 to 15] out of 17 points. In terms of knowledge gaps, only 60.7% of the participants knew that there was an FDA-approved vaccine for monkeypox, 49.0% of participants knew about monkeypox proctitis and 33.3% acknowledged that it could be transmitted by the bite of an infected rodent. We found that taking care of patients with monkeypox (aPR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.72) was associated with a higher knowledge (> p50) while living in the jungle (aPR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.91) was associated with lower knowledge (< p50). Conclusions Our study showed a high level of knowledge about monkeypox among Peruvian physicians. However, educational campaigns may be necessary, especially for physicians from the jungle and those who do not have clinical experience in monkeypox.