Research Study
Public Perception of Zoonotic Disease Risks and Prevention Actions: AI-Persona-Based Interviews a...
Global reports show an increasing risk of zoonotic diseases — illnesses that jump from animals to humans — due to deforestation, climate change, and wildlife trade.
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in preparedness, communication, and trust between science, government, and the public.
The goal is to understand how people today perceive such risks and what actions they believe are necessary to prevent future outbreaks.
We've found 42 private personas you've imported. How would you like to use them in this study?(Select 1 or more options)
Prioritize my private personas (supplemented with AI personas if needed)
Use only Atypica's synthesized AI personas
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We've found 42 private personas you've imported. How would you like to use them in this study?
Prioritize my private personas (supplemented with AI personas if needed)
Use only Atypica's synthesized AI personas
Thank you for your preference. I'll use only Atypica's synthesized AI personas for this study. Let me ask a few more questions to better understand your research needs.
Which aspects of zoonotic disease risk perception are you most interested in understanding?
Public awareness and knowledge of zoonotic disease transmission
Trust in scientific/government communications about disease risks
Willingness to support preventive policies (wildlife trade restrictions, deforestation limits, etc.)
Personal prevention behaviors people are willing to adopt
Thank you for clarifying. I'll focus on understanding public awareness and knowledge of zoonotic disease transmission. Let me gather some more specific information.
What specific testing objective would be most valuable for your research?
Compare knowledge levels across different demographic groups
Test effectiveness of different educational approaches about zoonotic diseases
Identify specific knowledge gaps in public understanding of disease transmission
Measure changes in awareness since the COVID-19 pandemic
Thank you for your responses. Now I have a clear understanding of your research focus. Let me search for current information about zoonotic diseases, public awareness, and knowledge gaps to inform our study.
Now I have a better understanding of the topic. Let me save our analysis framework before proceeding.
📝 This study aims to identify specific knowledge gaps in public understanding of zoonotic disease transmission in the post-COVID-19 era.
Background: Global reports indicate increasing risks of zoonotic diseases due to deforestation, climate change, and wildlife trade. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted significant gaps in preparedness, communication, and trust between scientific communities, government agencies, and the public. Understanding how people perceive zoonotic disease risks and what they know about transmission mechanisms is crucial for developing effective education and prevention strategies.
Recent research findings: Studies published since 2022 reveal persistent knowledge gaps regarding zoonotic disease transmission. Many people underestimate the role of animal reservoirs, intermediate hosts, and environmental factors in disease emergence. Surveys conducted post-COVID-19 show low awareness of the One Health concept (which recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health), confusion about zoonotic spillover versus zooanthroponosis, and limited understanding of preventive measures such as safe wildlife handling, proper cooking of animal products, and early warning systems. Medical journals emphasize the need to translate One Health principles into public education campaigns, establish long-term monitoring of zoonotic threats, and develop targeted communication strategies to improve community resilience against future outbreaks.
Study objectives: This study will identify and characterize specific knowledge gaps in public understanding of zoonotic disease transmission, with particular attention to post-COVID-19 awareness levels. The findings will help inform the development of targeted educational interventions and communication strategies to address these gaps.
Target audience: General public across diverse demographic groups, with potential segmentation by age, education level, geographic location (urban/rural), and prior exposure to information about zoonotic diseases.
Key study questions:
1. What are the specific knowledge gaps regarding mechanisms of zoonotic disease transmission?
2. How do people understand the connections between human activities (deforestation, wildlife trade, etc.) and zoonotic disease risk?
3. What misconceptions exist about how diseases jump from animals to humans?
4. How has COVID-19 affected people's awareness and understanding of zoonotic diseases?
5. What sources of information do people trust regarding zoonotic disease risks?
Study constraints: The study will focus specifically on knowledge and awareness rather than behaviors or policy preferences. The research will examine current knowledge states rather than testing specific interventions.
Now let me search for additional information to enhance our research approach.
Let me now use the planStudy tool to create a comprehensive research plan based on all the information we've gathered.
Of course. It's wise to build a solid research plan before diving into execution. A well-structured plan ensures your efforts are efficient and your findings are actionable.
Based on your background and question, I understand you are a public health professional or researcher. You need a rigorous plan to identify specific public knowledge gaps about zoonotic diseases to inform future public health communication strategies. The ultimate goal is not just to find these gaps, but to create a blueprint for how to close them effectively.
Here is a professional business research proposal designed to achieve that.
Business Research Proposal: Identifying Public Knowledge Gaps in Zoonotic Disease Transmission
This proposal outlines a two-phase research plan to identify and analyze public knowledge gaps regarding zoonotic diseases. The plan is designed to produce actionable insights for developing targeted public health communication campaigns.
Recommended Frameworks: KAP Model & STP Framework
To ensure our research is both comprehensive and strategic, we will use a combination of two powerful frameworks:
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Framework Teaching: The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) Model
- What it is: The KAP model is a public health framework used to understand a specific issue from three angles. Knowledge assesses what facts and information the public knows (or thinks they know). Attitude explores their beliefs, feelings, and levels of trust. Practice examines their actual behaviors and actions.
- Why it's suitable: Simply knowing that a knowledge gap exists isn't enough. The KAP model helps us understand why it exists. For example, is a gap due to a lack of information (Knowledge), a deep-seated distrust in science (Attitude), or because the recommended preventative measures are impractical (Practice)?
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Framework Teaching: The STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) Framework
- What it is: STP is a core marketing strategy framework. Segmentation involves dividing a broad population into distinct groups based on shared characteristics (e.g., demographics, beliefs, media habits). Targeting is the process of selecting the most critical segments to focus on. Positioning is about crafting a specific message and communication strategy that will resonate most effectively with each targeted segment.
- Why it's suitable: The "general public" is not a monolith. An 18-year-old who gets news from TikTok has a different knowledge base and level of trust than a 65-year-old who watches the evening news. The STP framework forces us to move beyond generic findings and develop a practical plan for reaching specific groups with tailored messages, making our communication efforts far more effective.
By combining KAP and STP, we can first understand the full picture of public understanding (KAP) and then use that understanding to devise a precise, actionable communication strategy (STP).
Part 1: Information Collection
The goal of this phase is to gather the raw data needed to populate our KAP and STP frameworks. We will use a two-pronged approach: web search for foundational knowledge and user interviews for deep, qualitative insights.
1. Information Collection: Web Search
Your initial search should provide a baseline of existing knowledge. Focus on academic studies, reports from public health organizations (like the WHO), and reputable journalistic sources.
- Search Topics:
- Existing KAP Studies: Look for "Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) survey zoonotic diseases" to find prior research.
- Analysis Purpose: This will reveal commonly identified knowledge gaps (e.g., confusion about transmission routes, low awareness of "reverse zoonosis") and risky behaviors (e.g., consumption of raw milk). This helps you avoid redundant questions and focus on less-understood areas.
- Public Trust in Science Post-COVID: Search for "public trust in science after COVID-19" and "misinformation pandemic origins."
- Analysis Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted public trust in scientific institutions and government bodies. Understanding this erosion of trust is crucial for the "Attitude" component of our KAP analysis. It will inform who should deliver our future health messages.
- Effective Health Communication Strategies: Use queries like "effective public health communication strategies" and "reaching diverse audiences health campaigns."
- Analysis Purpose: This provides a menu of proven tactics and channels. It informs the "Positioning" part of the STP framework by showing what has worked for others in terms of message framing and channel selection.
- Existing KAP Studies: Look for "Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) survey zoonotic diseases" to find prior research.
2. Information Collection: User Interview Plan
Interviews will provide the rich, qualitative "why" behind the quantitative data. Your goal is to understand the reasoning, emotions, and contexts that shape people's understanding and behaviors.
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Interview Subjects:
- Recruit a diverse group of 15-20 individuals from the general public. Do not focus solely on those with a scientific background.
- Ensure diversity across:
- Age: (e.g., 18-29, 30-49, 50-65+)
- Geographic Location: (Urban, Suburban, Rural)
- Education Level: (High School, Bachelor's, Graduate Degree)
- Media Diet: (e.g., users of social media for news vs. traditional media)
- Analysis Purpose: This diversity is the foundation for the Segmentation step in the STP framework. It allows you to see if knowledge gaps and attitudes cluster within specific demographic or psychographic groups.
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Core Interview Questions:
- To Assess Knowledge (K):
- "When you hear the phrase 'a disease that jumps from animals to humans,' what comes to mind? Can you think of any examples?"
- Analysis Purpose: Establishes a baseline of their mental model. Identifies common myths, such as the idea that zoonotic diseases only happen in faraway places or are exclusively linked to wildlife.
- To Assess Attitude (A):
- "Thinking about health information, who do you trust most to give you accurate advice? Who do you trust least? What makes a source feel trustworthy to you?"
- Analysis Purpose: This is critical for understanding the trust landscape. It directly informs your messaging strategy by revealing who the most credible messengers are for different groups.
- To Assess Practice (P):
- "Have you changed any of your daily habits or behaviors because of concerns about diseases like COVID-19? If so, what and why?"
- Analysis Purpose: Moves beyond theoretical knowledge to actual behavior. It helps you understand what preventative measures people find practical and are willing to adopt.
- To Inform STP (Targeting & Positioning):
- "If public health officials needed to get an urgent message to you, what is the absolute best way to make sure you see and believe it?"
- Analysis Purpose: Provides direct, user-generated ideas for your channel and positioning strategy. You might find that for one segment, a community leader is key, while for another, it's a specific type of expert on a podcast.
- To Assess Knowledge (K):
Part 2: Information Analysis
In this phase, you will synthesize the collected data using the KAP and STP frameworks to build your final, actionable strategy.
How to Analyze the Information
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Build KAP Profiles for Each Interviewee:
- Go through each interview transcript and summarize the individual's Knowledge (what they know/don't know), Attitude (who they trust/distrust), and Practices (what they do/don't do). This organizes the qualitative data into a structured format.
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Identify Segments (STP - Segmentation):
- Lay out your KAP profiles. Look for patterns. Do people with low trust in government also tend to get their information from the same sources? Do people in rural areas share similar misconceptions about transmission from livestock?
- Group your interviewees into 3-5 distinct segments. Give each a descriptive name (e.g., "The Informed but Anxious," "The Trusting but Uninformed," "The Skeptical Self-Researcher"). This makes the abstract public feel concrete.
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Prioritize Knowledge Gaps & Target Segments (STP - Targeting):
- List all the knowledge gaps you found from both your web search and interviews.
- For each gap, ask two questions:
- How widespread is this gap across our segments?
- How dangerous is this gap if left unaddressed?
- Focus on the gaps that are both widespread and dangerous. Then, decide which 1-2 audience segments are the highest priority to reach based on their susceptibility to these dangerous gaps.
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Develop a Positioning Strategy (STP - Positioning):
- For each target segment, create a "Positioning Statement." This is a simple formula:
- For [Target Segment], we will provide [Key Message] through [Trusted Channel], so they feel [Desired Emotion/Outcome].
- How-to Example: "For the Skeptical Self-Researcher segment, we will provide data-rich explainers and links to primary research through independent science communicators on platforms like YouTube, so they feel empowered and respected."
- Use the "Attitude" and "Channel" insights from your interviews to fill this in. The "why" you uncovered in the interviews is your key to crafting a message that resonates.
- For each target segment, create a "Positioning Statement." This is a simple formula:
By following this plan, you will move from a broad question about "knowledge gaps" to a specific, evidence-backed, and actionable communication strategy ready for implementation.
Thank you for your research plan! Now I'll explain the upcoming study workflow to you.
Research Plan Overview
📋 Upcoming Workflow
- Phase 1: AI Persona Selection & Construction
- Phase 2: In-depth Interviews with AI Personas
- Phase 3: Data Analysis & Synthesis
- Phase 4: Final Report Generation
🔄 Key Intermediate Steps
- Identify representative population segments for our study
- Search for existing AI personas that match our target demographics
- Create additional AI personas as needed
- Conduct interviews focused on zoonotic disease knowledge assessment
- Analyze knowledge gaps and misconceptions across different groups
📊 Final Deliverables
- Comprehensive report identifying specific knowledge gaps in public understanding of zoonotic disease transmission
- Analysis of how these gaps vary across different demographic segments
- Insights on public awareness of connections between human activities and zoonotic disease risk
- Assessment of COVID-19's impact on zoonotic disease awareness
⏱️ Estimated Duration: Approximately 30 minutes
Let's begin by searching for existing AI personas that would be representative of our target population segments.
🔍 Found 9 AI Personas
Now, let's search for additional personas to ensure we have a diverse and representative sample for our study.
🔍 Found 10 AI Personas
We now have a good selection of personas from our searches. Let's also create a few additional personas to ensure we have comprehensive coverage of different demographic segments that might have unique perspectives on zoonotic diseases.
📊 Search Statistics
TikTok
1 steps
Twitter
8 steps
Instagram
1 steps
🤖 Built 4 AI Personas
Perfect! Now we have a diverse range of personas that represent different demographic groups, knowledge levels, and perspectives on zoonotic disease transmission. Let's proceed with our interviews to understand knowledge gaps across these groups.
Based on our collection of personas, I'll now conduct interviews with them to understand their knowledge, perceptions, and awareness gaps regarding zoonotic disease transmission. We'll interview them in two batches.
📝 The interviews with five distinct individuals—from diverse age groups, professions, and backgrounds—reveal varied yet complementary insights into public understanding, perceptions, and communication needs regarding zoonotic disease transmission post-COVID-19.
---
### General Awareness and Understanding of Zoonotic Diseases
Across all interviewees, there is a foundational awareness that zoonotic diseases occur when pathogens transfer from animals to humans. Common examples like COVID-19, bird flu, swine flu, and rabies are frequently mentioned. However, understanding varies in depth:
- **Sarah (Marketing Coordinator)** and **Ayo (Secondary Student)** recognize direct contact, contaminated food, vectors, and habitat encroachment as key transmission routes but differ in informational preferences and emotional responses.
- **Rajesh (Agricultural Extension Officer)** and **Dr. Sharma (Environmental Epidemiologist)** exhibit highly detailed, practical, and scientific knowledge of transmission pathways and ecological drivers.
- **Bob (Retired Historian)** situates zoonoses within a broad historical and ecological perspective, emphasizing epidemic patterns and consequences.
However, there is consensus that **public understanding often remains superficial**, missing the complex ecological and systemic factors such as intermediate hosts, ecosystem disruption, and the "One Health" concept, which links human, animal, and environmental health as an integrated system.
---
### Role of Human Activities
All interviewees agree on the **central role of human activities**—particularly deforestation, habitat encroachment, and wildlife trade—in driving zoonotic spillover:
- Habitat destruction forces closer contact between wild and domestic animals, creating “bridges” for pathogens.
- Wildlife markets and trade provide viral “mixing pots,” amplifying risks.
- These disruptions are described as “natural consequences” of ecosystem meddling that are difficult but necessary to address.
This view is especially emphasized by Rajesh and Dr. Sharma, who underscore the need for sustainable environmental stewardship, while Sarah and Ayo express concern but also feelings of anxiety or urgency shaped by their experiences.
---
### Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 universally transformed perceptions, making zoonotic risks immediate and tangible:
- Sarah describes heightened anxiety and vigilance, seeing zoonotic diseases as a “constant threat.”
- Ayo relates the pandemic to global “spillover” awareness gained largely through social media.
- Rajesh notes how COVID-19 made “One Health” real for farming communities, stressing biosecurity.
- Bob views the pandemic as a stark historical event underscoring ecological interconnectedness.
- Dr. Sharma highlights COVID-19 as a global case study revealing the importance of integrated surveillance and public education.
Thus, the pandemic served as a critical inflection point, magnifying the urgency of understanding and preventing zoonotic diseases.
---
### Prevention Strategies
Interviewees converge on a multi-pronged prevention framework involving:
1. **Environmental Protection:** Protecting habitats, halting deforestation, regulating wildlife trade.
2. **Surveillance & Early Warning:** Scientific monitoring of animal diseases, especially in high-risk zones, enabling rapid detection and containment.
3. **Public Education & Communication:** Delivering clear, trustworthy, jargon-free messages tailored to different audiences—ranging from accessible visuals and influencers favored by youth (Ayo) to evidence-based, locally relevant advice for farmers (Rajesh), and nuanced scientific explanations urged by experts (Dr. Sharma).
4. **Biosecurity & Practical Practices:** Especially prominent in Rajesh’s insights for farm-level hygiene, vaccination, and animal management.
5. **International Cooperation & Trust Building:** Highlighted by Bob and Dr. Sharma as critical for resource sharing, combating misinformation, and coordinating responses.
---
### Trusted Information Sources and Communication Preferences
Trust and accessibility of information vary by profile:
- **Sarah** trusts her doctor first, supplemented by reputable online sources like CDC and WHO; she values clarity and evidence-based content free from jargon.
- **Ayo** depends heavily on social media and “health influencers” who simplify and visually engage, finding official sources "boring."
- **Rajesh** relies on government agricultural departments, scientific journals, and local farmer networks, emphasizing practical and locally relevant knowledge.
- **Bob** prefers established, reputable media outlets and official public health bodies, actively avoiding unverified social media content due to misinformation concerns.
- **Dr. Sharma** trusts peer-reviewed science, international institutions, and scholarly communication, advocating clear dissemination to bridge public knowledge gaps.
---
### Summary
These interview results highlight a spectrum of zoonotic disease knowledge and perceptions shaped by personal, professional, and generational contexts. While foundational awareness exists, deeper understanding of ecological drivers and systemic dynamics remains limited among the general public. COVID-19 has heightened awareness and urgency but also fueled anxiety and information overload.
Effective prevention demands integrated approaches combining environmental stewardship, surveillance, practical biosecurity, and tailored, trustworthy communication strategies that meet diverse informational needs—from youth’s preference for engaging social media content to farmers’ demand for local relevance and scientific rigor.
Ultimately, fostering a well-informed public hinges on bridging knowledge gaps with clear, accessible messaging, rebuilding trust in authoritative sources, and enhancing global collaboration—embracing the “One Health” paradigm to safeguard future health security.
Let's interview our second batch of personas to gain additional insights.
📝 The interviews provide a rich, multifaceted understanding of public knowledge gaps, perceptions, and informational needs regarding zoonotic disease transmission in the post-COVID-19 era, with consistent themes emerging across diverse participants.
---
### Common Knowledge Gaps and Misconceptions
Across expert and lay perspectives, significant gaps remain in understanding the complex mechanisms of zoonotic transmission beyond direct contact with sick or wild animals. Indirect pathways—such as environmental contamination, contaminated water, foodborne routes, and vector-borne transmission via mosquitoes or ticks—remain poorly appreciated by many. The crucial concept of "spillover," the initial crossing of a pathogen from an animal reservoir to humans, is understood in simplified terms but often lacks nuance regarding its drivers—especially the role of human activities like habitat destruction, wildlife trade, and agricultural changes.
Misconceptions are widespread and persistent, including beliefs that:
- Zoonotic diseases only come from exotic or visibly sick wild animals, ignoring domestic animals and asymptomatic carriers.
- Transmission is always through direct contact.
- Humans are immune to animal diseases or that proper cooking alone eliminates all risks.
- Animals are solely to blame, disregarding how human environmental disruption creates spillover opportunities.
These misconceptions were emphasized as more difficult to correct than mere lack of knowledge.
---
### Understanding of Spillover and One Health
All interviewees reaffirmed that “spillover” is the critical “first spark” when a pathogen breaches the natural species barrier, with human actions—encroachment, deforestation, wildlife trade—acting as the catalysts. Experts like Professor Fenton likened spillover to a "breach of a fence," while environmental advocates described it as a “violent breach” or “Pandora’s Box” unleashed by exploitation and destruction.
The “One Health” approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, was identified as a major blind spot in public understanding. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these domains is key to appreciating zoonotic risks and prevention strategies.
---
### Climate Change as an Amplifier
Climate change is consistently seen as an accelerating factor that dismantles natural ecological balances and expands zoonotic risks through multiple pathways: habitat disruption and forced animal migration, expanded ranges of vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, ticks), altered pathogen survival or virulence, and socio-economic impacts such as food insecurity and human displacement. Several participants highlighted the disproportionate vulnerability of marginalized communities due to these cascading effects, framing the issue as one of environmental and social justice.
---
### Desired Preventive Information and Communication Strategies
Interviewees from different backgrounds shared common preferences for prevention information that is:
- **Practical and locally relevant:** Clear guidance on safe food handling beyond basics, responsible pet ownership, vector control, and safe coexistence with local wildlife—tailored to community-specific risks and circumstances.
- **Accessible and trustworthy:** Use of diverse, familiar communication channels (social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, WeChat; local health authorities; community leaders) delivering clear, jargon-free messages.
- **Clear explanations of complex concepts:** Simplified but accurate "One Health" frameworks and detailed, relatable descriptions of spillover mechanisms.
- **Myth debunking:** Explicit correction of common misconceptions through empathetic and evidence-based messaging.
- **Emotionally engaging narratives:** For some, especially advocates and artists, connecting the science to moral imperatives, stories of hope, and systemic advocacy is vital to foster genuine behavioral and policy change.
- **Symptom recognition and care guidance:** Practical advice on early signs of zoonotic illness and when to seek medical attention.
Overall, the goal across respondents is not to incite fear, but to empower vigilant, informed, and responsible behaviors grounded in an integrated understanding of health.
---
### Summary
The collective insights highlight that while public awareness of zoonotic disease risks has increased due to COVID-19, knowledge is often incomplete or overly simplistic, with persistent misconceptions hindering effective prevention. There is a critical need for integrated, accessible, and emotionally resonant communication that bridges scientific understanding with everyday practices, emphasizing the interconnectedness inherent in the “One Health” approach. Addressing climate change's role and human-driven environmental disruption as root causes is fundamental to fostering informed vigilance, equitable public health, and sustainable coexistence with animals and ecosystems.
Now that we've completed our interviews with the AI personas, let's save a summary of our study methodology and process.
Now let's generate our final report with a professional design that clearly presents our findings.
Study Complete: Report Generated Successfully
I've completed the research study on public understanding of zoonotic disease transmission, and your comprehensive report has been generated successfully. The report contains detailed findings on:
- Specific knowledge gaps identified across different demographic groups
- Common misconceptions about zoonotic disease transmission
- The impact of COVID-19 on public awareness of animal-to-human disease spread
- Public understanding of environmental factors in disease emergence
- Preferred information sources and effective communication strategies
The report has been designed with a professional, evidence-based aesthetic appropriate for both health professionals and informed public audiences, with clear data visualizations and accessible explanations of complex concepts.
Would you like me to:
- Explain any specific findings from the report in more detail?
- Discuss how you might use these insights for developing educational materials?
- Suggest focused areas for potential follow-up research?
- Make any adjustments to the report format or presentation?
Please let me know how I can help you make the most of this research.
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