title: Misconceptions about Ebola seriously affect the prevention efforts: KAP related to Ebola prevention and treatment in Kouroussa Prefecture, Guinea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Guinea is the third hardest hit country in the region with 2,806 cases and 1,814 deaths as of January 11, 2015 after Sierra Leone and Liberia respectively. This KAP study was conducted in three sub-prefectures of Kouroussa in the Kankan region of Guinea from 15 December 2014 to 15 January 2015. It was conducted with the general objective of examining the knowledge, attitude and practice related to Ebola prevention and care among the public of Kouroussa Prefecture.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect quantitative data to examine knowledge, attitude and practice related to Ebola. Structured questionnaire was administered by trained data collectors who were supervised by doctors and epidemiologists from WHO and Africa Union. Data were collected from 358 individuals (93% response rate) and analyzed in STATA 13 while tables and graphs are used to display results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 96% of the respondents have ever heard about Ebola while only 76.2% believed the disease existed in Kouroussa. Avoiding physical contacts including hand shaking and contacts with body fluids, and early treatment of persons sick from Ebola were the two important prevention methods frequently mentioned (96.8% and 93.9%). Only 35.7% of respondents were found to have comprehensive knowledge about Ebola (composite of correctly accepting three methods of prevention (85%) and rejecting misconceptions (55.7%)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high level of knowledge about modes of transmission and prevention methods has not positively affected the level of comprehensive knowledge about Ebola. In contrast, the prevailing high level of misconceptions surrounding Ebola was found to be responsible for a low comprehensive knowledge.
authors.affiliation: African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA).
authors.forename: Benti Geleta
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Buli
authors.affiliation: African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA).
authors.forename: Landry Ndriko
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mayigane
authors.affiliation: African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA).
authors.forename: Julius Facki
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Oketta
authors.affiliation: African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA).
authors.forename: Aguide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soumouk
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization.
authors.forename: Tamba Emile
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Sandouno
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization.
authors.forename: Bole
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.affiliation: National Ebola Prevention and Control Coordination Body, Kouroussa Prefecture, Kankan, Guinea.
authors.forename: Mory Saidou
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Toure
authors.affiliation: Direction Prefectorale de la Santé de Kouroussa, Kankan, Guinea.
authors.forename: Aissata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conde
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D016701:Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ebola; comprehensive knowledge; misconception; prevention