In 2007, the first chikungunya outbreak ever occurring in a temperate area of the Northern
Hemisphere was reported in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The present study aims to evaluate
knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding chikungunya infection. Information was
collected by standardised telephone questionnaire, administered to 325 people during
a seroprevalence survey performed in the outbreak area. Most people (61%) knew that
Chikungunya virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. A significant proportion of
respondents perceived chikungunya infection as a high-risk disease (49.8%) and declared
their intention to use mosquito repellents in the future (47.4%). Willingness to use skin
repellents was more often declared by women, residents in households with children and
people who knew infection transmission routes, while perception of high risk related to
Chikungunya did not influence claimed future behaviour. Knowledge of the mechanisms
of infection transmission was inversely related to risk perception: elderly people were less
likely to know the disease than young people, but ranked the risk highest compared to
younger age groups. Less educated residents were much more likely to perceive a high
risk. After a chikungunya infection outbreak in a temperate area, where mosquito-borne
infections have not been previously reported, only half of the study participants declared
their intention to use individual protection in the future. Anticipated behaviour was not
explained by the level of risk perception, but was associated with knowledge of the disease
and demographic characteristics