Knowledge, risk perception and mitigation measures towards Ebola virus disease by potentially exposed bushmeat handlers in north-central Nigeria: Any critical gap?

The bushmeat industry has been a topic of increasing importance among public health officials for its influence on zoonotic diseases transmission, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), a rare and severe infectious disease of humans and non-human primates. This survey assessed knowledge/awareness, risk perceptions and mitigation practices towards EVD among bushmeat handlers in north-central Nigeria. These characteristics are premise to level of preparedness against appropriate risk prevention and control. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted between January and December 2015 on 395 bushmeat handlers. Descriptive and analytical statistical analyses were performed using Epi-Info 3.5.3 software, and p < 0.05 was considered statistical significance in all analyses. Mean age of respondents was 40.9 ± 10.7 years, and most (30.4%) of them were in the age group 40-49 years. Majority (82.8%) of them were males, while most (47.9%) do not possess formal education. Bushmeat hunters, vendors and consumers constituted 17.2%, 28.1% and 54.7% of the respondents, respectively. A majority (85.6%) of the participants had heard about EVD. Bushmeat vendors were more likely (OR 1.96; 95% CI: 1.05-3.65) to have satisfactory knowledge than the hunters. Handlers with tertiary education were more likely (OR 3.22; 95% CI: 1.56-6.67) to possess significant satisfactory knowledge/awareness about EVD. Also, vendors were more likely (OR 1.85; 95% CI: 1.01-3.42) to practice satisfactory mitigation measures than the hunters. Only handlers with tertiary education were more likely (OR 2.48; 95% CI: 1.26-4.89) to significantly practice satisfactory mitigation measures against EVD. Although most of the handlers possessed significant knowledge/awareness about EVD, few applied mitigation measures against its infection, which is the challenging gap. There is a need for collaborations between the public health, veterinary and wildlife authorities in the provision of health information to bushmeat handlers on better management of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases of wildlife origin.

Awareness and mitigation measures on highly pathogenic avian influenza in pastoral poultry flocks of North-central Nigeria: any challenging gap?

Village poultry closely interact with wild birds and other livestock in extensively managed poultry flocks, a practice common in pastoral communities of Nigeria. This practice provides sustained dissemination of avian viruses, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus. The objectives of this study were to assess their knowledge/awareness, risks identification and biosecurity measures on HPAI H5N1 in pastoral poultry flocks. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in systematically selected pastoral households of North-central Nigeria between May 2015 and June 2016. A total of 422 pastoralists participated in the study. Mean age of the respondents was 54.7 ± 11.4 SD years and 36.0% of them were in age group 50-59 years. The majority (81.3%) of respondents were of the Fulani tribe. Also, 64.9% of the respondents had no formal education and only 6.9% had tertiary education. About 30.8% of the nomadic and 81.0% of sedentary pastoralists significantly mentioned avian influenza to be a zoonotic disease. Very few nomadic (10.9%) and sedentary (26.1%) pastoralists significantly reported restriction of birds' movement to nearby water bodies as biosecurity measure. Only 7.6% of the nomadic and 16.1% of sedentary pastoralists practiced keeping of birds according to species. Sedentary pastoralists were more likely to have significant knowledge about HPAI H5N1 than the nomadic (OR: 1.76; 94% CI: 1.19-2.61). Female pastoralists were more likely to practice significant biosecurity measures against HPAI H5N1 than the males (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.28-3.09). The majority of pastoralists neither possessed adequate knowledge about avian influenza nor applied adequate biosecurity measures against it, which are the most challenging gaps. Education of pastoralists on HPAI virus infection, specifically on information about clinical signs of avian influenza in birds, transmission dynamics among different species of birds, flyways of migrating wild birds and adequate mitigation measures are recommended.

Cryptosporidium oocysts and Balantidium coli cysts in pigs reared semi-intensively in Zuru, Nigeria

A cross-sectional study was conducted on the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Balantidium coli cysts in fecal samples from semi-intensively managed pigs in Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria between November 2005 and July, 2006. A total of 632 households with human population of 5905 were identified in seven pig- rearing locations in the study area while 105 (16.6%) of these households with human population of 1105 (18.7%) reared a total number of 3895 pigs. Physical randomization was used to select 50% representative samples of pig-rearing households and pigs for this study. Out of the 402 pigs from 55 households, 207 (51.5%) pigs were positive for Balantidium coli cysts, 56 (13.9%) for Cryptosporidium oocysts while mixed infection was observed in 29 (7.2%). There is significance difference in the distribution of the two parasites in the pigs surveyed (p < 0.05). Young pigs were most affected with infection rates of 33 (58.9%) Cryptosporidium oocysts, 113 (54.6%) Balantidium coli cysts and 17(58.6%) mix infection. Human fecal samples collected from 53 individuals revealed 3 (5.7%) positive cases of Cryptosporidium oocysts all in young ones while a positive case of Balantidium coli cyst infection was found in an adult female. Water and soil samples from two areas were also found to contain both organisms. The semi-intensive system of pig rearing which allowed pigs to scavenge and defecate about, defective personal and environmental hygiene couple with the usage of untreated pig feaces as manure on vegetable farms in the study area can enhance the spread of these zoonotic diseases in human population.