Background: We estimated coverage of doxycycline chemoprophylaxis (200 mg once weekly) following floods in Kerala, India.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to gather data on exposure to flood or stagnant water and receipt and consumption of chemoprophylaxis.
Results: Of 1573 individuals interviewed, 152 (10%) were exposed to flood water. Among these, 119 (78%) were eligible for chemoprophylaxis. Of those eligible, 58 (38.2% [95% confidence interval 30.8 to 46.1]) reported consuming the prescribed chemoprophylaxis.
Conclusions: Despite the availability of chemoprophylaxis, consumption was less than ideal. We recommend targeted interventions to improve chemoprophylaxis coverage and public awareness campaigns to enhance its consumption among the affected population.
Keywords: chemoprevention; cross-sectional studies; doxycycline; health surveys; leptospirosis.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.