Knowledge, attitude, and practices to zoonotic disease risks from livestock birth products among smallholder communities in Ethiopia

Cultural and behavioral drivers of zoonotic disease transmission and persistence among diverse pastoralist communities in East Africa

Background

Zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, Rift Valley fever, anthrax, rabies and bovine tuberculosis are highly prevalent among pastoralist communities in low-and middle-income countries.

Methods

This study adopts a One Health approach, employing a range of participatory methods including informal observations, "go-along interviews," narrative-, and key informant- interviews, to explore the cultural, behavioral, and structural drivers of zoonotic disease transmission among pastoralist communities in East Africa. We unpack how the physical environment, socio-economic systems, health systems, community influence and cultural competence as well as individual pastoralist's unique characteristics, behaviors and lifestyles can be leveraged for effective public health interventions that reduce zoonotic risks and improve health outcomes for both humans and livestock.

Results

We present data from 214 purposively selected participants, including 19 key informants, 68 in-depth interviews, 20 focus group discussions, and 22 direct ethnographic observations. Traditional knowledge and beliefs, risky cultural dietary practices such as consumption of raw milk, meat and blood, unprotected parturition assistance, unsafe disposal of carcasses and aborted fetuses were common and carried increased risk of zoonotic transmission. Women and children handled and milked small ruminants while adult men and morans (young warriors) were mostly involved with cattle, camels and slaughtering; hence exposing them to zoonotic pathogens disproportionately. There were piles of manure made up of animal excreta and secretions that were potentially highly contaminated with saprophytes and soil-borne zoonotic pathogens.

Discussion

While livestock play a significant and indispensable role in the daily livelihoods of pastoralist communities, their close association of pastoralists with livestock coupled with their unique cultural and behavioral practices increases their risk of exposure to deadly zoonotic diseases. Although, most of these practices are environmentally and culturally adaptive, their risk for transmission is often overlooked. The study also highlights inadequate sanitary practices, poor disposal of animal carcasses and placentae and the absence of veterinary oversight in the production, distribution and consumption livestock products.

Conclusions

Our study provides a holistic understanding of the subjective perspectives and nuanced insights underlying the emergence and persistence of zoonotic diseases within pastoralist communities. It also underscores the need for culturally sensitive One Health interventions that address these practices and enhance community awareness of zoonotic disease risks and prevention strategies which are often overlooked by conventional epidemiological studies.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices to Foodborne Zoonotic Diseases and Their Associated Factors in and Around Debre Tabor City, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Foodborne zoonotic diseases are a widespread public health problem globally. Infections are naturally transmitted between animals and humans through food. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2024 to evaluate the awareness of foodborne zoonotic diseases and their associated factors in and around Debre Tabor city, Northwest Ethiopia. In this study, 771 participants were involved in which, a single individual over the age of 18 was chosen from each family using a simple random sampling method for data collection. Data were processed using Epi Info Version 7, and the analysis was conducted with SPSS Version 20 software. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized to examine the influence of different factors on the dependent variable's level. Results: A total of 771 participants took part in the study, resulting in an overall response rate of 95.7%. The number of participants having a good knowledge and practice towards meat-borne zoonoses were 378 (49%) and 412 (58.6%), respectively. The knowledge of the respondents on tuberculosis, anthrax, taeniasis, and cysticercosis was 192 (24.9%), 335 (43.5%), 313 (40.6%), and 266 (34.5%), respectively. Educational status and access to information sources of respondents were significantly associated with knowledge as p value < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: The level of knowledge and practice was poor about foodborne zoonotic diseases in this study. This is because of the habit of backyard slaughtering and consumption of raw meat.

Zoonotic diseases awareness and food safety practices among livestock farmers in Nepal

Interactions between humans and livestock could increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. In addition, limited knowledge of zoonoses and foodborne diseases among livestock farmers could heighten the risks of foodborne illness and outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. This study evaluated the awareness of zoonotic diseases and preventive practices for zoonotic and foodborne diseases among livestock farmers of the Chitwan, Rupandehi, and Tanahun districts of Nepal by conducting a cross-sectional survey of 280 livestock farmers. They were recruited using the purposive sampling method from October to December 2022. Descriptive statistics revealed that most (72.1%; n = 202/280) livestock farmers were aware of zoonosis. None of the farmers knew about the zoonotic nature of leptospirosis. Two-thirds of pig farmers (67%; n = 12/18) were aware of zoonotic transmission of swine flu, and more than half of the poultry (58%; 50/86) farmers knew about zoonotic avian influenza. The majority of the farmers who had dogs (83%) and cats (89.4%) in their homes or farms knew that rabies can be transmitted to humans from dogs or cats. The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that farmers from the Rupandehi district (aOR: 5.56; 95% CI: 2.18-14.22) and Chitwan (aOR: 6.52; 95% CI: 2.46-17.25) had a higher odds of having good preventive practices than those from Tanahun. Also, farmers who had no sickness in the past 6 months after consumption of animal products were three times (aOR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.48-6.01) more likely to have better practices. Furthermore, secondary education (aOR: 3.64; 95% CI: 1.41-9.44) was a significant positive predictor of good zoonotic diseases and food safety preventive practices. Our study underscores the necessity to enhance Nepalese livestock farmers' awareness and practices regarding zoonotic and foodborne diseases. It emphasizes the importance of understanding risks, effective behavioral change strategies, and engaging farmers in developing zoonotic disease and foodborne illness prevention programs.

One health assessment of farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) on zoonoses in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, farming serves as a key livelihood, leading to a higher risk of zoonotic diseases due to frequent animal interactions and traditional practices. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of livestock farmers regarding zoonotic disease outbreaks. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 658 livestock farmers from randomly selected regions in Bangladesh from April to June 2024. The participants included farmers with at least two livestock animals and ten or more birds on their farms. Among livestock farmers, 89.06% were male, mostly aged 30-45, but predominantly from non-science educational backgrounds. The survey revealed significant knowledge and practice gaps regarding zoonosis, with only 11.55% possessing good knowledge and 37.54% demonstrating good practices. Farmers with a science education had higher KAP scores. Most avoided consuming raw animal products, although 23% lived in close proximity to animals. Logistic regression identified factors influencing KAP, including rearing systems, farming experience, pet ownership, and biosecurity training. The study found that farmers lack adequate knowledge and practices regarding zoonosis, despite exhibiting a positive attitude. The study emphasizes the need for targeted educational programs and a collaborative One Health approach to improve zoonotic disease control, particularly among less educated farmers, to enhance public health and economic outcomes.

Impact of improper municipal solid waste management on fostering One Health approach in Ethiopia - challenges and opportunities: A systematic review

Improper disposal of solid waste, predominantly illegal dumping, can lead to severe air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and health hazards due to the persistence of hazardous materials. As a result, it is threatening public and animal health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. The One Health approach, which acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, offers a comprehensive solution. This systematic review examines the impact of improper municipal solid waste on fostering One Health approaches at the national level of Ethiopia by identifying key challenges and opportunities. Publications were retrieved from peer-reviewed, indexed journal publications, government documents (policies, proclamations, regulations, and guidelines), and credible non-governmental organization publications from selected electronic databases (Google scholar, PubMed, EMBASE, Global Health, Web of Science, etc.), and governmental offices. Despite efforts to advance the One Health approach in Ethiopia through the formation of the National One Health Steering Committee and technical working groups, implementation is hindered by challenges such as poor sectoral integration, insufficient advocacy, financial constraints, and limited research. These challenges contribute to worsening zoonotic and infectious diseases and environmental issues due to inadequate solid waste management. Nonetheless, opportunities exist through One Health integration via holistic programs, interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, policy enhancement, institutional capacity building, and public-private partnerships. Therefore, enhancing sectoral integration and increasing advocacy efforts and securing financial support is necessary to back waste management initiatives and related research. Further research is crucial to understand the impact of solid waste management and the potential benefits of the One Health approach in Ethiopia.

The role of syndromic knowledge in Ethiopian veterinarians' treatment of cattle

Veterinarians play a significant role in the treatment and prevention of livestock diseases at the farm level, safeguarding public health and ensuring food safety. In sub-Saharan Africa, access to quality veterinary services is a major challenge for livestock farmers due to the low number of publicly employed veterinarians, underfunding and privatisation of veterinary services. Low investment in veterinary services and infrastructure, including a lack of laboratories for diagnosis, has made veterinarians rely on their experience and knowledge of cattle disease symptoms developed over years of practice to diagnose and treat cattle diseases. A cross-sectional survey using a role-play approach was used to collect data on knowledge regarding cattle diseases among veterinarians in veterinary clinics and private practices in Addis Ababa, Oromia and Adama regions in Ethiopia. Veterinarians were given a number of disease scenarios based on "fictive disease symptoms" that are commonly manifested in a sick cow and asked to identify the disease what personal biosecurity they would use, diagnostic tests they would perform, treatments they would prescribe, treatment costs, and additional services and inputs they would recommend to the farmer. The results show that veterinarians could identify endemic cattle diseases through symptoms. The majority of veterinarians did not find it important to report notifiable diseases, a behaviour which could hamper disease surveillance and outbreak response. The advice and services the veterinarians said they would offer and recommend to farmers included improvement in feeding, vaccination, use of artificial insemination, and adoption of farm biosecurity measures that can reduce disease prevalence, and improve food safety, animal health and welfare. Low use of personal protective equipment and other protective biosecurity measures among veterinarians could expose them to zoonotic diseases. The study concludes that there is a need for increased funding for continuous training, improved access to animal health-related information, and investment in infrastructure such as laboratories to enable veterinarians to deliver quality animal health services.

Toxoplasmosis and Chlamydophilosis in Small Ruminant Farms in Cameroon: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Perception of Zoonotic Risks of Farmers

Zoonotic abortive diseases represent a significant health and economic risk for national public health. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to October 2021 among 200 selected small ruminant farmers in the three northern regions of Cameroon. Data collection was done through questionnaires administered by exchange with the herder, and responses were coded and recorded on an Excel spreadsheet. The data were then analyzed with R software, version 2.13.0. An ANOVA test was used to assess significant differences in mean of Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Perception of zoonotic risks (KAPP) scores between regions. Pearson correlations were used to calculate the association between KAPP scores within regions. Small ruminant farmers surveyed had low mean scores for knowledge of abortive toxoplasmosis and chlamydophilosis (0.1 ± 0.2), desirable attitude (0.32 ± 0.07), appropriate practice (0.36 ± 0.13) in managing abortion, and positive perception of zoonotic risks of toxoplasmosis and chlamydophilosis in small ruminants (0.12 ± 0.33), respectively. KAPP was significantly (P < 0.01) and positively associated with knowledge (r = 0.98) and risk perception (r = 0.99). However, attitudes (r = 0.06), practices (r = 0.05), and risk perception of toxoplasmosis (r = 0.07) and chlamydophilosis (r = 0.08) were not associated with farmers' knowledge. This study revealed significant knowledge gaps, low levels of desired attitudes, and high-risk behavioral practices. These results therefore call for capacity building of health professionals and farmers to better integrate the One Health concept in the management of neglected zoonotic diseases.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Prevention Practices towards Common Zoonotic Diseases in and around Bahir Dar City, North Western Ethiopia

The problem of zoonoses diseases is a global public and veterinary health concern. Globally coordinated and well-established research efforts are essential to successfully fighting and reducing the health burden of zoonoses. In our study area, the interplay of intense livestock animals, agricultural activities, and poor health services characterized the high risks of zoonotic diseases. Thus, people suffer from easily preventable diseases with hygiene and good-quality food. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices of people handling farm animals and their products toward common zoonotic diseases; and (ii) estimate the associated risk factors influencing their knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to August 2022. A simple random sampling technique was followed to select respondents. Multivariable logistic regression model analysis was conducted using STATA version 14. The overall level of knowledge, attitude, and prevention practice for the major zoonotic disease was 52.5%, 68.6%, and 39.4%, respectively. Rabies, tuberculosis, taeniasis, anthrax, and brucellosis were the major zoonotic diseases selected by respondents in the study areas. The age of respondents, training status, educational status, and farm location were significantly (P  < 0.05) associated with the level of knowledge and prevention practice against zoonotic diseases. This study revealed that the level of knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices for major zoonotic diseases in Bahir Dar City were relatively poor. Therefore, a concerted effort among various government and nongovernment stakeholders, including veterinarians, public health officials, and environmental experts, is needed to create and raise awareness among livestock producers about the transmission and control methods and the economic and public health importance of zoonotic diseases.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of farmers about transmission of zoonotic diseases in Ada'a district, Oromia, Ethiopia

In developing countries like Ethiopia, zoonotic diseases pose a significant health and economic burden, with high exposure of farmers to zoonotic infection given the prevailing traditional husbandry practices. A cross-sectional survey involving 388 farmers in the Ada'a district central Ethiopia was conducted to investigate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the transmission of zoonotic diseases. The respondents' mean age was 41.0 ± 10.0 SD years. The majority of respondents (39.4%) were between the ages of 41 and 50, and 90.0% were married. Farmers claimed that conversations with family, colleagues, and friends were the primary sources of zoonoses information. Farmers stated that the primary sources of information on zoonotic diseases as community. They had a relatively low level (66.8%) of knowledge on zoonotic diseases and half of them (54.9%) did not have good information on zoonoses. Three-quarters (75.2%) of the farmers reported that they neither consume meat and milk nor use offal and hide/skin from sick or dead animals. Similarly, 71.1% of them stated that they do not eat meat from regularly aborting sheep/goats, and never consume raw meat and milk. Most of the respondents correctly answered that raw meat (82.7%) and raw milk (79.9%) are means of disease transmission from animals to humans. However, considerable proportions of them were unaware of zoonotic transmission of bovine tuberculosis (61.3%) and brucellosis (74.7%) transmission through raw milk intakes, and risk of taeniasis (71%) due to raw meat consumption. But, considerable proportions had never dewormed (48.7%), or tested their animals for brucellosis (82.7%) and bovine tuberculosis (83.3%), and more than three quarters (77.3%) did not used personal protective equipment when handling sick animals. Farmers who had a secondary education or above (OR = 6.8, CI = 2.4-18.0, p = 0.004), aged between 41 and 50 years (OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2-7.2, p = 0.015), and those having good knowledge (OR = 2.1, CI = 1.3-3.5, p = 0.002), and positive attitude related to zoonotic diseases (OR = 7.8, CI = 4.7-12.9, p < 0.001) had better practices that reduce the risk of exposure to zoonotic infections than their counterparts. This study revealed a knowledge gaps, a low level of the desired attitude, and high-risk behavioral practices which call for awareness creation about zoonotic disease transmission.

Neglected zoonotic bacteria causes and associated risk factors of cattle abortion in different agro-ecological zones of southwest Ethiopia

Three zoonotic bacteria, Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira spp, and Brucella spp, cause cattle abortion and significant losses in the livestock sector. However, these infections were neglected diseases in Ethiopia. Between October 2020 and October 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out in southwest Ethiopia to determine the prevalence of abortion and identify the major zoonotic bacterial causes and risk factors that contribute to abortion. Using an indirect ELISA, antibodies to Brucella abortus, Leptospira Hardjo, and Coxiella burnetii were detected in serum samples taken from 461 cattle. Potential risk factors for cattle abortion were found using a multivariable random effect logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of cattle abortion was found to be 22.56 % (95 % CI: 18.74-26.38) in the study areas. Leptospira Hardjo (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.04-3.00), Coxiella burnetii (OR=2.7, 95 % CI: 1.26-5.62), and Brucella abortus (OR=9.8, 95 % CI: 1.27-17.15) were all associated with the occurrence of abortion in cattle, as were their co-infections (OR=8.1, 95 % CI: 1.28-39.33). Other risk factors for cattle abortion included breed (OR=16.7, 95 % CI: 2.20-26.77), herd size (OR=2.5, 95 % CI: 1.16-4.68), breeding method (OR=2.3, 95 % CI: 1.33-3.90), and contact with dogs (OR=2.2, 95 % CI: 1.34-3.53). According to the findings of this study, Brucella abortus, Coxiella burnetii, and Leptospira Hardjo are serious zoonoses that cause significant production loss in cattle due to abortion. To prevent transmission of these zoonotic diseases, it is crucial to implement effective control measures and increase public awareness. The causes of cattle abortion in the study areas should also be isolated and characterized.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Communal Livestock Farmers regarding Animal Health and Zoonoses in Far Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The presence of zoonotic diseases adversely affects livestock production and farmers' livelihood in communal areas. A lack of awareness about zoonotic diseases among rural farmers results in economic losses and health risks. The far north-eastern corner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa, is home to large numbers of communal livestock farmers who live adjacent to wildlife reserves and international borders. There have been reports of zoonotic and trade-sensitive diseases in the area, but farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in this regard are poorly understood. This study investigated the KAPs of communal livestock farmers in far northern KZN regarding livestock and zoonotic diseases found in the livestock-wildlife interface and determined the constraints and challenges faced by communal livestock farmers. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 504 livestock farmers at 45 dip tanks between August and November 2020, using a closed-ended questionnaire. Although the overall level of knowledge regarding animal disease transmission was fairly good (score: 53.2%), 25.4% and 21.4% of farmers had moderate and poor knowledge, respectively, about zoonotic disease transmission and prevention. Over 40% of the farmers were not aware of the zoonotic nature of wildlife and livestock diseases. Older farmers, despite their lower level of education, were more knowledgeable on animal diseases and had better practices in regard to zoonotic disease prevention and management compared to younger ones. The majority of farmers cited the lack of water, insufficient grazing land, stock theft, the restriction of animal movement, and animal diseases as the most significant challenges they faced regarding animal production. The results indicate the need for extension programs that target educating livestock farmers to improve their knowledge of these diseases.

Applications of environmental DNA (eDNA) in agricultural systems: Current uses, limitations and future prospects

Global food production, food supply chains and food security are increasingly stressed by human population growth and loss of arable land, becoming more vulnerable to anthropogenic and environmental perturbations. Numerous mutualistic and antagonistic species are interconnected with the cultivation of crops and livestock and these can be challenging to identify on the large scales of food production systems. Accurate identifications to capture this diversity and rapid scalable monitoring are necessary to identify emerging threats (i.e. pests and pathogens), inform on ecosystem health (i.e. soil and pollinator diversity), and provide evidence for new management practices (i.e. fertiliser and pesticide applications). Increasingly, environmental DNA (eDNA) is providing rapid and accurate classifications for specific organisms and entire species assemblages in substrates ranging from soil to air. Here, we aim to discuss how eDNA is being used for monitoring of agricultural ecosystems, what current limitations exist, and how these could be managed to expand applications into the future. In a systematic review we identify that eDNA-based monitoring in food production systems accounts for only 4 % of all eDNA studies. We found that the majority of these eDNA studies target soil and plant substrates (60 %), predominantly to identify microbes and insects (60 %) and are biased towards Europe (42 %). While eDNA-based monitoring studies are uncommon in many of the world's food production systems, the trend is most pronounced in emerging economies often where food security is most at risk. We suggest that the biggest limitations to eDNA for agriculture are false negatives resulting from DNA degradation and assay biases, as well as incomplete databases and the interpretation of abundance data. These require in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches to carefully design, test and apply eDNA monitoring for reliable and accurate taxonomic identifications. We explore future opportunities for eDNA research which could further develop this useful tool for food production system monitoring in both emerging and developed economies, hopefully improving monitoring, and ultimately food security.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Rift Valley Fever among Livestock Farmers in Selected Districts of Malawi

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis whose cases go unreported in endemic areas without active surveillance. Information on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of RVF among livestock farmers remains speculative in Malawi. A cross-section survey using a semi-structured questionnaire (n = 400) was conducted in eight districts of Malawi to capture information on knowledge, attitude, and management practices (KAP) regarding RVF. The average KAP score was calculated from total scores for knowledge, attitude, and practices and then assessed. The association between the level of knowledge and factors of knowledge, factors of attitude, and factors of practices was determined using Pearson chi-square. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the predictors of knowledge. Participants had an overall poor knowledge (score = 17.94%), negative attitude (score = 9.40%), and poor management practices (score = 41.23%) towards RVF. Only 8.25% (33/400) of participants had sufficient knowledge of RVF. The study found that the cause of abortion (OR: 3.86 (95% CI: 1.14–13.05)) (p = 0.030) and knowledge on transmission of RVFV (OR: 5.65 (95% CI: 1.76–18.12)) (p = 0.004) were predictors of insufficient knowledge of RVF. The current study reported that participants had insufficient knowledge and a negative attitude despite displaying limited management practices towards RVF. Therefore, this study recommends community sensitization to RVF and advocates for the importance of reporting suspected cases to relevant authorities for proper management.

One Health Perspectives on New Emerging Viral Diseases in African Wild Great Apes

The most recent emerging infectious diseases originated in animals, mainly in wildlife reservoirs. Mutations and recombination events mediate pathogen jumps between host species. The close phylogenetic relationship between humans and non-human primates allows the transmission of pathogens between these species. These pathogens cause severe impacts on public health and impair the conservation of habituated or non-habituated wild-living apes. Constant exposure of great apes to human actions such as hunting, deforestation, the opening of roads, and tourism, for example, contributes to increased interaction between humans and great apes. In spite of several studies emphasizing the risks of pathogen transmission between animals and humans, outbreaks of the reverse transmission of infectious agents threatening wildlife still occur on the African continent. In this context, measures to prevent the emergence of new diseases and conservation of primate species must be based on the One Health concept; that is, they must also ensure the monitoring of the environment and involve political and social aspects. In this article, we review and discuss the anthropological aspects of the transmission of diseases between people and wild primates and discuss new anthropozoonotic diseases in great apes in Africa from studies published between 2016 and 2020. We conclude that the health of great apes also depends on monitoring the health of human populations that interact with these individuals.

Influence of contract commitment system in reducing information asymmetry, and prevention and control of livestock epidemics: Evidence from pig farmers in China

The prevention and control of infectious diseases in livestock is of great significance for maintaining the food and health of people. The main bottleneck in preventing and controlling the epidemic is asymmetrical information between farmers and the livestock department regarding dead livestock. In this pursuit, China has levied the contract commitment system to ensure farmers to cooperate with livestock departments, cooperative organizations, and other farmers by proper contract in order to combat the livestock epidemic by reporting the status of dead livestock on time. Based on the data of 514 pig farmers in Hebei, Henan, and Hubei, this research employed the Heckprobit model to explore the contract commitment system's effect on pig farmers' behavior in reporting the status of dead livestock. The outcome showed that the contract commitment system encouraged the farmers to report dead pig information promptly. Moreover, modern information channels such as mobile phones or the Internet further enhanced the contract commitment system's effectiveness. Besides, the impacts of the contract commitment system on different scale farmers are found substantially heterogeneous. Based on the empirical findings, it is confirmed that the contract commitment system should not exclude government regulatory measures and economic incentive policies. It is a useful remedy to encourage farmers to report dead livestock information on time and supports in preventing and controlling livestock epidemics. Additionally, the government should enhance and strengthen the contract commitment system, establish the channels and platforms required to deliver necessary information about epidemics, and implement differentiated policy programs for different scale farmers. More importantly, these countermeasures can also provide important guidelines for other developing countries, facing livestock epidemics.

Estimating the Economic Impact and Assessing Owners' Knowledge and Practices of Epizootic Lymphangitis in Equine Cart Animals in Central and South Gondar Zones, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a chronic, contagious, fungal disease of equids. The disease is highly prevalent in cart pulling equines of Ethiopia affecting the livelihood of the cart owning households and welfare of the cart animals. This study estimated the economic impacts of EL and assessed cart owners' knowledge and practices related to the disease in northwest Ethiopia. A multistage cluster sampling approach was implemented to select cart animal owners for the study. A total of 274 cart animal owners were interviewed to collect data for the study. The average annual economic loss per cart owner was estimated at Ethiopian Birr (ETB) 8447. Of this loss, the ETB 4364, 2838, and 1245 were due to mortality, working power loss, and treatment costs, respectively. When the loss was computed only for affected car owners, it was on average ETB 9835 per affected cart owner. The average annual animal level loss was estimated at ETB 6587 per cart animal. Mortality was the largest contributor of the overall economic losses. There was a statistically significant difference in average economic losses per household between study towns (P < 0.05). The knowledge and practice study revealed that 51.2% of the respondents had good knowledge level (knowledge score above the mean score) of EL, but only 45.2% of the respondents had a good practice related to EL. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that socio-demographic factors such as educational level and town of residence were significantly associated with EL knowledge level of the respondents (P < 0.05), and on the other hand, knowledge level and residence of the respondents were significantly associated with EL practice level (P < 0.05). The study generally indicates that EL causes significant economic impact on the cart business, but cart owners had insufficient knowledge and poor control and preventive practices to combat the disease. Attention should be accorded to control the disease and reduce its impact on the livelihood of cart owners. As part of the control measure, more awareness creation about the disease and its preventive and management measures for cart owners will very important.