Socio-Cultural Habits Among Tea Garden Population of Assam in Relation to Filariasis Transmission

Filariasis is endemic but mostly localized among the tea garden workers of Assam. To elucidate the cause of high transmission rate among tea garden labourer; with other parameters the socio-cultural habits were also studied A total of 281 families belonging to three tea gardens of Upper Assam were interviewed to know the demographic characteristics, social structure, knowledge about the disease and its vector, attitude towards treatment and prevention and willingness to participate in the control measures Less thin 505- heard about the name of filariasis but about 73.7% believe that it is some kind of disease Only 45.5% recognize the role of mosquitoes in transmission and 28 5% and 15.79c believe hydrocele and elephantiasis occur due to filariasis, respectively. Only 39-5% know that mosquito breed in stagnant water. 43% expects that only their employer or Government is responsible for decreasing the mosquito breeding source. Results of the study indicate that there is a big gap in the knowledge towards filariasis and its transmission The attitude and practice toward reducing man mosquito contact needs more employer and health education. Effort to enhance community participation and personal involvement also needs to be increased

Biology · Elephantiasis · Environmental health · Filariasis · Geography · Helminths · Hydrocele · Lymphatic filariasis · Population · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Tea garden · Veterinary medicine · Zoology · Demography · Dengue and Mosquito Control Research · Medicine · Mosquito-borne diseases and control · Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment · Surgery