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Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the awareness of nursing students regarding Nipah virus infection.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 72 nursing students from a public sector nursing college. Data were gathered pertaining to their knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, complications, and prevention of Nipah virus infection using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics were used. The normality of the data was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Owing to the non-normality of the data, the chi-square test was applied to determine the association between categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.6 ± 0.54 years. Of the 72 nursing students, 62.5% of the students had heard about Nipah virus, while 63.9% correctly identified it as a viral infection. About 80.6% knew about its transmission to others. 52.8% were adequately aware of the natural reservoirs of Nipah virus. Most (68.1%) students identified encephalitis as a significant complication. Preventive measures like avoiding partially eaten fruits (73.6%), using personal protective equipment (83.3%), hand hygiene (76.4%), and isolation of cases (84.7%) were broadly acknowledged. Most (61.1%) received information about this deadly virus from social media. Significant associations were observed between age groups and knowledge of the natural reservoir (P < 0.05) and isolation from cases as a preventive practice (P < 0.02).
Conclusion: Nursing students had moderate awareness of Nipah virus infection. Social media played a pivotal role in knowledge acquisition about the Nipah virus.
Keywords: Nipah virus, nursing students, encephalitis, natural reservoir, social media.
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