Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of animal health staff and farmers towards brucellosis control in sheep and goat in China: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

In China, brucellosis has resurfaced recently with a discernible spatial distribution, particularly affecting dairy herds and small ruminant populations. However, limited dissemination of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) for brucellosis control exists among farmers and animal health staff. This study aimed to assess the KAP of brucellosis control and prevention in animal health staff and farmers, with the goal of educating the public regarding the application of efficient brucellosis control and prevention strategies.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 1,468 participants, comprising farmers (n = 1,067) and animal health staff (n = 401) based on their significant density of sheep and goat population. They completed a questionnaire targeting a specific group of farmers and animal health staff through face-to-face interviews. The KAP scores were then categorized as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory based on a cutoff set at ≥80% of the total score for satisfactory. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the association between KAP and geographical information.

RESULTS

The results indicated satisfaction with KAP among farmers (57.7%, 75.8% and 87.0%) and animal health staff (80.5%, 84.5%, and 78.3%) at ≥ 80% cut-off point of total score. The primary concern of farmers is involved in the understanding of the route of transmission and handwashing practices after contacting animals. Predictors of higher knowledge and positive attitude included province of residence and age. The factors linked to satisfactory practice levels consist of province of residence, educational level, and a history of family members' infections (p < 0.05). Among animal health staff, the primary factor associated with KAP was province of residence, sex, level of education, and history of family members infection (p < 0.05). Additionally, brucellosis information primarily originated from traditional promotional materials and veterinarians.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasized that the KAP scores for both animal health staff and farmers were satisfactory, except for a suboptimal knowledge score among farmers. To proactively control future brucellosis outbreaks, it is imperative to develop targeted educational resources aimed at enhancing the understanding of brucellosis, particularly among farmers. Ensuring the availability and accessibility of informative materials for the effective prevention and control of brucellosis in livestock animals.