Knowledge and practices regarding leishmaniasis in Portugal – Comparison between blood donors and health students/professionals

Objective To compare the current knowledge and practices regarding leishmaniasis among blood donors and health students and professionals, in Portugal. Material and methods Data were collected through the application of two questionnaires (one online and one in paper) with similar questions in two distinct cross-sectional independent studies, each targeting one of the groups. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing were performed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics. Results In total, 3763 blood donors, 254 students and 232 professionals were included in the comparative analysis. Over 95% of students and professionals, but only around 70% of blood donors had previously heard of leishmaniasis. Over 90% of participants in each group admitted leishmaniasis affected animals, but only in the professional group over 90% were aware of human leishmaniasis. Conclusions Even though canine leishmaniasis is recognized by many blood donors and by most students and professionals, awareness of the disease in humans is less common, highlighting the importance of promoting an approach to this infection through a One Health lens.