Community based assessment on knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), risk factors and One Health perspective of brucellosis in rural and urban settings of Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study


Published: Oct 26, 2022
Updated: 2022-10-26
Keywords:
Brucellosis Knowledge Attitude Practice Risk factors One health
A Tahir
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9339-8676
S Naz
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0030-0981
M S Afzal
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9807-5710
R M K Shabbir
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4135-5874
S Ali
NA Shah
H Ahmed
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0382-3569
Abstract

Bovine brucellosis is an endemic zoonotic infection of ruminants in Pakistan with detrimental impacts on livestock economy. The major losses caused by brucellosis in animals include abortions, week calves, infertility, and reduced milk production. Regardless of the prevalence of the disease, limited data is available about brucellosis in Pakistan. The present study aimed to access the one health concept in prospective of Brucellosis among small-scale dairy farmers by examining knowledge, attitude and practices at the farms and household level that might pose a risk for humans contracting brucellosis. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among small household dairy farms (n=333) in rural and urban areas of district Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The results revealed almost 74.17% of the participants knew about animal brucellosis and about 69.97% of the participants were able to identify the symptoms of animal brucellosis. 58.26% of participants showed knowledge about the transmission of disease from animals to humans. A majority (70.87%) of participants used the raw milk for making other dairy products. Most household farmers are unaware of routes of transmission and major risk factors of brucellosis. Almost all the participants, except veterinarians, including butchers, dairy farm owners and workers, slaughterhouse owners and workers and farmers were involved in at least one risky practice. The moderate knowledge and poor understanding of the disease emphasize the need to initiate awareness programs to educate the farmers who are at high risk along with the improvement of vaccination programs for animals and strict implementation of brucellosis eradication policy which should be devised by government.

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Author Biographies
A Tahir, COMSATS University Islamabad

Ayesha Tahir has done her MS from the department of BioSciences, COMSATS University Islamabad.

S Naz, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Dr Shumaila Naz is Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan

M S Afzal, Department of Life Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Lahore

Dr Muhammad Sohail Afzal is Associate Professor at Departemnt of LifeSciences, University of Management and Technology Lahore.

R M K Shabbir, Department of Life Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Lahore

Rana Muhammad Kamran Shabbir is a faculty member at department of Life Sciences, Univeristy of Management and Technology Jaohar Town Lahore.

H Ahmed, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Dr. Haroon Ahmed Assistant Professor Department of Biosciences COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan Contact # +923455162128  Office # +92-51-90496099 Email id: haroonahmad12@yahoo.com                                               haroonahmed@comsats.edu.pk
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