Studying knowledge of medical students of Tehran universities toward avian influenza

Avian influenza, a viral disease in poultry, is an important infectious disease among human beings, because of easy spreading, no immunity and antigenic shift of virus. It has been occurred outbreak of avian influenza in some neighbor countries of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of medical students toward avian influenza. In this cross– sectional study, the knowledge of 403 medical students was gathered using a questionnaire in 2008. A pilot study verified the validity and reliability of questionnaire. The students completed the questionnaire, and then data were analyzed by SPSS software. The mean age of the participants was 23.68±2.8 years. Male to female ratio was 208 to 194. Mean score of students knowledge was 39.33±7.4. There was significant relationship between educational level and knowledge score (p=0.001). However, no significant relationship was found between knowledge score and other variables (NS). This study suggests that educational programs can positively influence the knowledge about infectious diseases, especially avian influenza.