Introduction:

Emergence and re-emergence of arbovirus infections in the Americas have led to changes in traditional prevention and communication actions so they adjust to this new situation.

Objective:

To contrast the communication for arbovirus infection prevention implemented in Cuba with the knowledge, perceptions and practices of the population concerning these diseases and their main vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Methods:

A mixed-design exploratory study was conducted based on qualitative and quantitative data triangulation. A document review was performed during the qualitative stage, whereas the quantitative stage centered around a population survey. The study was carried out in the municipality of La Lisa in the period 2014-2017. The sample was 51 documents and 90 households. Data processing was based on QSR Nvivo10 and SPSS version 19.0.

Results:

The arbovirus infection best known by the population surveyed was dengue, followed by zika and chikungunya. Yellow fever, on the other hand, was found to be less known by respondents. Results showed the influence of communication actions on the knowledge, perceptions and practices of the population concerning arbovirus infections and their main vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, information gaps continue to exist, and actions are required which go beyond the mere informative function to help reduce the occurrence of risk practices in the community.

Conclusions:

Fostering the surveillance and evaluation of communication actions, and bridging the gap between the approach promoted by various levels of implementation and the knowledge, perceptions and practices of the population, may help consolidate the conscious, active and sustained participation of different social actors in the integrated prevention and control of arbovirus infections.

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