title: Ebola risk perception in Germany, 2014.
abstract: Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks have occurred during the past 5 decades, but none has affected European countries like the 2014 epidemic in West Africa. We used an online questionnaire to investigate risk perceptions in Germany during this epidemic peak. Our questionnaire covered risk perceptions, knowledge about transmission routes, media use, reactions to the outbreak, attitudes toward measures to prevent the spread of EVD and vaccination against EVD, and willingness to volunteer for aid missions. Of 974 participants, 29% indicated that they worried about EVD, 4% correctly stated virus transmission routes, and 75% incorrectly rated airborne transmission and transmission by asymptomatic patients as possible. Many indicated that if a patient were flown to Germany for treatment in a nearby hospital, they would adapt preventive behavior. Although most participants were not worried about EVD at the current stage of the epidemic, misperceptions regarding transmission were common and could trigger inappropriate behavior changes.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rübsamen
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castell
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karch
authors.forename: Jördis J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raupach-Rosin
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zoch
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Rafael T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Mikolajczyk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D029043:Ebolavirus; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EVD; Ebola; Ebola virus; Ebola virus disease; Germany; behavior; hemorrhagic fever; perception; risk; transmission; viruses