Knowledge and awareness regarding cholera epidemic among Syrian private university students (non-medical colleges)

Background : Cholera is defined as an acute bacterial infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, and the main clinical feature of cholera is watery diarrhea, therefore cholera represents a global threat to public health and a sign of underdevelopment in a country. An important factor contributing to the spread of cholera is the lack of public knowledge and awareness of its transmission methods and early measures to diagnose and treat cholera symptoms, therefore it is important to understand the public knowledge and awareness of this disease to reduce its transmission. Methods : A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Syrian Private University, during the period from 12/6/2024 to 27/8/2024. The number of participating students was 208 male and female students, from non-medical colleges at the university. This was done through a questionnaire distributed electronically and in paper form. Results : Our study included 208 students from the Syrian Private University, males (51%) and females (49%). The most participating age group was "21-25" (52.9%). The most participating students were "Information Engineering" students (43.8%). They answered that the causative agent of cholera is "bacteria" (51.4%). The most important symptoms of cholera were answered "acute watery diarrhea" (54.3%). They answered about the spread of cholera: contaminated water (93.8%). Contaminated food (88%). Conclusion: We found that the level of knowledge of the participating students at the Syrian Private University is average to weak, and the attitudes and practices of students in some of the points raised are unsatisfactory. We recommend conducting awareness campaigns about the cholera epidemic and further studies at the population level.