Assessment of the knowledge of healthcare workers on monkeypox in Nigeria

Monkeypox, a re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), poses a public health challenge in Nigeria. To effectively combat this disease, it is essential to assess the knowledge of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Nigeria concerning monkeypox outbreak.

A cross-sectional web-based survey with 609 healthcare workers in Nigeria was conducted using a structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge of monkeypox. Data were coded and analyzed with Microsoft Excel and Python in Anaconda Jupyter Notebook.

The majority of respondents (n=318, 52.2%) had good knowledge of MPXV but also had knowledge gaps regarding certain symptoms and disease similarities. Interestingly, respondents were completely unaware of the possibility of sexual transmission of the disease. However, they recognized the possible significant impact of monkeypox on the social and economic lifestyle of Nigerians (n=582, 95.6%, adjOR=21.181, 95% CI: 14.450-31.051). Respondents had mixed knowledge regarding the use of smallpox vaccines and antiviral agents for monkeypox prevention and treatment. Furthermore, a significant proportion (n=526, 86.4%, adjOR=0.159, 95% CI: 0.126-0.201) attributed the outbreak to bioterrorism. The logistic regression highlighted a strong influence of academic qualification, type of healthcare provider, years of experience, and geopolitical zone of practice, on monkeypox knowledge in Nigeria.

The study highlights the importance of continuous education for healthcare professionals in Nigeria to improve monkeypox outbreak management. Despite their moderate performance, there are knowledge gaps in critical areas among HCWs, necessitating further research to explore reasons and influencing factors for knowledge levels.