Introduction.

Cholera is an infectious disease with epidemic behavior. Despite scientific advances, it stills a threat for public health. In 2010, an outbreak exploded in Haiti, its initial lethality was as high as 6.4% and then stabilized near of 1%, possibly because lack of knowledge about management by medical staff. There is a risk that epidemic arrives to Colombia and finds a similar scenery.-

Objective.

To determine the knowledge level about cholera in medical students of an University of Colombia.

Materials and methods.

This is an observational, analytical, cross sectional study. Prior informed consent, we applied a survey about cholera knowledge to medical students who had already approved the basic sciences, infectology and epidemiology courses.

Results.

The participants were 323 students whose average age was 22 years, 50.8 % were men. Knowledge levels had nothing to do with age and sex, but increase with academic level (p=0,031). Knowledge about clinical signs, transmission via and populations at risk, were correct in more than 90% of participants; as long as knowledge about outbreak configuration, use of antibiotics and recent behavior of cholera were answered appropriated by less of 23% of them.

Conclusion.

Medical students have not enough knowledge to guarantee an adequate management of a cholera outbreak, antibiotics use, and prevention of disease.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Español     · Español ( pdf )