Akinniyi Olumide Odunayo, Lawal Taiwo Rianat, Rufai Nurudeen, Jolayemi Kelvin Olutimilehin, Amaje Joyce
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Maple Equine Veterinary Services, Lagos, Nigeria.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):21880. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-07991-7.
African horse sickness (AHS) is endemic in Nigeria. Despite this, little is known about the perspective of horse handlers in Nigeria regarding AHS. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of horse handlers in Southwest Nigeria regarding AHS. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted, which involved convenient sampling of 131 horse handlers in Lagos and Oyo States by February - April 2024. The pre-validated questionnaires were administered via face-to-face interviews, covering demographics, knowledge of AHS transmission, clinical signs, prevention and control measures, attitudes towards severity and preventability, and perceptions of AHS risk and impact. Numeric scoring categorized KAP levels as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Result showed majority were early adults aged 20-39 years (63.4%, n = 83), highest level of education was secondary school (47.3%, n = 62), and most had more than 4 years of experience handling horses (83.2%, n = 109). Higher knowledge levels were associated with being from Lagos State (AOR = 851.4, 95% CI = 39.8-18215.2, p = 0.00), having more experience (AOR = 50.0, 95% CI = 2.7-925.9, p = 0.00), and owning larger herds (AOR = 31.6, 95%CI = 3.1-327.5, p = 0.00). Satisfactory attitudes and perceptions towards AHS prevention and control was exhibited by 98.5%. While knowledge gaps exist, the positive attitudes and perceptions present opportunities for enhancing AHS awareness and control strategies among this population of horse handlers. Future research should focus on developing and evaluating targeted interventions to address the identified knowledge gaps and maintain the positive attitudes and perceptions observed in this study.
非洲马瘟（AHS）在尼日利亚呈地方性流行。尽管如此，对于尼日利亚马匹饲养者对非洲马瘟的看法却知之甚少。该研究旨在评估尼日利亚西南部马匹饲养者对非洲马瘟的知识、态度和认知（KAP）。开展了一项横断面调查研究，于2024年2月至4月对拉各斯州和奥约州的131名马匹饲养者进行了便利抽样。通过面对面访谈发放预先验证的问卷，内容涵盖人口统计学、对非洲马瘟传播的了解、临床症状、预防和控制措施、对严重程度和可预防性的态度以及对非洲马瘟风险和影响的认知。采用数字评分将KAP水平分为满意或不满意。数据分析采用描述性统计、卡方检验和多变量逻辑回归。结果显示，大多数为20 - 39岁的青壮年（63.4%，n = 83），最高学历为中学（47.3%，n = 62），且大多数人有超过4年的马匹饲养经验（83.2%，n = 109）。较高的知识水平与来自拉各斯州（优势比[AOR]=851.4，95%置信区间[CI]=39.8 - 18215.2，p = 0.00）、经验更丰富（AOR = 50.0，95% CI = 2.7 - 925.9，p = 0.00）以及拥有更大的马群（AOR = 31.6，95% CI = 3.1 - 327.5，p = 0.00）相关。98.5%的人对非洲马瘟的预防和控制表现出满意的态度和认知。虽然存在知识差距，但积极的态度和认知为提高这群马匹饲养者的非洲马瘟意识和控制策略提供了机会。未来的研究应侧重于制定和评估有针对性的干预措施，以弥补已发现的知识差距，并维持本研究中观察到的积极态度和认知。
