Assessing Knowledge and Risk Perception of Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Viruses Among Medical Students in Cyprus: A Cross-Sectional MosquitoWise Study
- 1University of Nicosia: Medical School
Abstract
BackgroundCyprus has transitioned into a high-alert zone for mosquito-borne viruses. This necessitates a proactive assessment of its future physicians. Following the 2022 re-establishment of Aedes aegypti in Larnaca and Aedes albopictus in Limassol, Cyprus, the island is now biologically primed for local outbreaks of dengue, Zika and chikungunya, alongside Culex-borne West Nile virus. This study assessed medical students knowledge and risk perception.
MethodsA cross-sectional online survey administered the validated MosquitoWise Health Belief Model instrument to undergraduate-entry and graduate-entry students at a university in Cyprus in mid-2026.
ResultsOf 1023 students, 119 responded (11.6%), with pre-clinical students overrepresented (p<0.001). Mean knowledge was 5.43/9, stronger on mosquito biology (72.5%) than virus knowledge (54.2%). Median severity was 6.00/7 against susceptibility 4.25/7. Knowledge differed by study stage (p<0.001), correlated with severity (rs = 0.399) but not susceptibility.
ConclusionsThis study establishes a critical baseline for pre-clinical medical students in Cyprus. Overall, participants performed better on mosquito biology when compared to mosquito-borne viruses and how they spread. Our findings highlight the value of integrating theoretical microbiology with clinical practice in medical education to enhance physicians preparedness for the changing landscape of newly emerging infections in Cyprus and across Europe as a whole.
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BibTeX
@misc{dali2026assessing,
title = {{Assessing Knowledge and Risk Perception of Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Viruses Among Medical Students in Cyprus: A Cross-Sectional MosquitoWise Study}},
author = {A. M. Dali and A. Vujicic and D. Gato and E. Volkan},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.15.26365696},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.15.26365696v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Assessing Knowledge and Risk Perception of Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Viruses Among Medical Students in Cyprus: A Cross-Sectional MosquitoWise Study
AU - A. M. Dali
AU - A. Vujicic
AU - D. Gato
AU - E. Volkan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.15.26365696
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.15.26365696v1
AB - BackgroundCyprus has transitioned into a high-alert zone for mosquito-borne viruses. This necessitates a proactive assessment of its future physicians. Following the 2022 re-establishment of Aedes aegypti in Larnaca and Aedes albopictus in Limassol, Cyprus, the island is now biologically primed for local outbreaks of dengue, Zika and chikungunya, alongside Culex-borne West Nile virus. This study assessed medical students knowledge and risk perception. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey administered the validated MosquitoWise Health Belief Model instrument to undergraduate-entry and graduate-entry students at a university in Cyprus in mid-2026. ResultsOf 1023 students, 119 responded (11.6%), with pre-clinical students overrepresented (p<0.001). Mean knowledge was 5.43/9, stronger on mosquito biology (72.5%) than virus knowledge (54.2%). Median severity was 6.00/7 against susceptibility 4.25/7. Knowledge differed by study stage (p<0.001), correlated with severity (rs = 0.399) but not susceptibility. ConclusionsThis study establishes a critical baseline for pre-clinical medical students in Cyprus. Overall, participants performed better on mosquito biology when compared to mosquito-borne viruses and how they spread. Our findings highlight the value of integrating theoretical microbiology with clinical practice in medical education to enhance physicians preparedness for the changing landscape of newly emerging infections in Cyprus and across Europe as a whole.
ER -