Investigated was the knowledge of preventive measures of avian influenza from farmers, live chicken sellers, and poultry veterinarian in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study using standardized questionnaire was conducted. Respondents included 236 poultry farmers, live chicken sellers (LCS), and veterinarian aged 12–70 years in contact with birds through husbandry. The study duration was from October 2010 to May 2011. Participants knowledge on transmission sources showed low understanding with highest being from bird-bird (57.3%). The medium most commonly utilized was electronic media (82.5%) as information source. Respondents thought that vaccination of birds (80.6%) would prevent infection. Farmers’ education on bird flu needs to be improved through veterinary public health and health promotion approach. Nonpharmaceutical preventive measures such as hand washing freely and avoidance of eye, nose, and mouth touching must be improved.
During an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds [
So far outbreaks have receded globally. Sporadic cases do occur in farms, signaling endemicity. Nigeria is surrounded by four countries with long porous borders with high risk of introduction of diseases of animal (zoonotic), fish, and plant during trade and movement [
Benin City, the study area is southern Nigeria, is comprised of a population of 3,497,502 people based on the 2006 census [
Farmers were identified by list of members of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Edo State. Out of the 91 listed members, 76 were members who located their farms in Benin City. These populations represent farmers with the low and high density flock sizes and were given questionnaire at their weekly poultry association meeting. Those farmers (163) who are not registered members of PAN were also reached through visitation to a total of 15 farms, 9 veterinary drug, and 5 feed stores and the live animal markets (LAM). Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire to the participants, who fill in and returned to designated Veterinary stores along Murtala Mohammad Way, Benin City.
The questionnaire was also administered to 48 live chicken sellers (LCS) who are mostly illiterate by interview at the five LAM, such as Oba market, Oliha market, Third circular junction market, Aduwawa market, and New Benin market. The questionnaire comprises questions on the demographic characteristics of participants and 46 questions on the knowledge of bird flu which included sources of information, transmission, and the practice of prevention and control measures at farms and markets. In this study, the disease was identified as “bird flu” because this was the term most commonly used in the media in Nigeria at the time of the 2006-2007 epidemic and was accepted by the public. The study period covered October 2010–May 2011. Research assistants (6 veterinary doctors and 7 animal health technologists) who are poultry veterinarian and assistants, respectively, were trained for 2 days. Verbal informed consent was obtained from the participants. Respondents’ confidentiality was assured and that the research had no harm to the respondents. Analysis was conducted by using SPSS 15.0 statistical software to generate frequency distributions.
In this study, 236 (77.9%) respondents participated in the research and 39 respondents declined participation with reasons such as there is no need, no monetary benefit, and outright rejection. Twenty farmers did not return their questionnaire.
The 236 respondents involved in the research included 56.8% males and 43.2% females. The age groupings were 21–40 years (47.5%) as the highest, 41–60 years (41.5%), 0–20 years (5.9%), and ≥61 years (5.1%). More married people (69.1%) were engaged than single (29.2%) population in poultry farming. Most participants attended secondary and tertiary education (72.0%) and primary (22.9%) and 3.0% had no formal education. The others occupational group owns more poultry farms 40.4%; poultry farmers accounted for 29.2% and LPS are 23.3% while veterinarian 3.8% and pork sellers 0.8%, respectively.
Information sources through which farmers heard about bird flu were radio (57.7%), newspaper (39.3%), colleagues (40.6%), and seminar/workshop (22.2%); the medium most commonly utilized was electronic media (82.5%) (Table
Awareness on information sources concerning bird flu by poultry farmers and live poultry sellers in Benin City.
Information sources variable |
Frequency (%), |
||
---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Total | |
Heard about bird flu | 229 (97.9) | 5 (2.1) | 234 (100.0) |
Through television | 193 (82.5) | 41 (17.5) | 234 (100.0) |
Radio | 135 (57.7) | 99 (42.3) | 234 (100.0) |
Newspaper | 92 (39.3) | 142 (60.7) | 234 (100.0) |
Colleagues | 95 (40.6) | 139 (59.4) | 234 (100.0) |
Health worker | 47 (20.1) | 187 (79.9) | 234 (100.0) |
Place of worship | 10 (4.3) | 224 (95.7) | 234 (100.0) |
Seminar/workshop | 52 (22.2) | 182 (77.8) | 234 (100.0) |
Others | 9 (3.8) | 225 (96.2) | 234 (100.0) |
Multiple response,
Farmers knowledge of sources of bird flu transmission revealed bird-bird 57.3%, bird-man 50.4%, man-bird 9.4%, slaughter surfaces 29.1%, bird feces 30.3%, vehicles 17.1%, and handling of eggs 26.5% (Table
Awareness of the sources of transmission of bird flu by poultry farmers and live poultry sellers in Benin City.
Variable |
Frequency (%), |
||
---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Total | |
Bird—bird | 134 (57.3) | 100 (42.7) | 234 (100.0) |
Bird—man | 118 (50.4) | 116 (49.6) | 234 (100.0) |
Man—bird | 22 (9.4) | 112 (90.6) | 234 (100.0) |
Man—man | 34 (14.5) | 200 (85.5) | 234 (100.0) |
Pig—man | 25 (10.7) | 209 (89.3) | 234 (100.0) |
Bird—pig | 32 (13.7) | 202 (86.3) | 234 (100.0) |
Bird feces | 71 (30.3) | 163 (69.7) | 234 (100.0) |
Handling of eggs | 62 (26.5) | 172 (73.5) | 234 (100.0) |
Vehicles | 40 (17.1) | 194 (82.9) | 234 (100.0) |
Slaughter surfaces | 68 (29.1) | 166 (70.9) | 234 (100.0) |
Multiple response, %: percentage.
Respondents awareness of transmission through contacts showed low to high levels with 39.7% indicating that avian influenza can infect only chicken and 67.9% showing that bird flu can infect man. Transmission through contact with infected birds 73.9% and close contact with infected person 56.8% were revealed. Respondents 41.5% indicated that many birds died and 37.2% reported to veterinary authority. Visitation to farms showed 67.5%, 66.2%, and 71.4% (Table
Awareness of bird flu transmission through contact and reporting to veterinary authority.
Variable |
Frequency (%), |
||
---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Total | |
Bird flu infects only chicken | 93 (39.7) | 141 (60.3) | 234 (100.0) |
Bird flu can infect man | 159 (67.9) | 75 (32.1) | 234 (100.0) |
By touching infected chicken | 120 (51.3) | 114 (48.7) | 234 (100.0) |
Contact with infected birds | 173 (73.9) | 61 (26.1) | 234 (100.0) |
Close contact with infected person | 133 (56.8) | 101 (43.2) | 234 (100.0) |
Have many birds died at once | 97 (41.5) | 137 (58.4) | 234 (100.0) |
Report to Vet. authority | 87 (37.2) | 147 (62.8) | 234 (100.0) |
Wild birds fly into farms | 122 (52.1) | 112 (47.9) | 234 (100.0) |
Visit to other farms | 158 (67.5) | 76 (32.5) | 234 (100.0) |
Other farmers’ visit | 155 (66.2) | 79 (33.8) | 234 (100.0) |
Chicken sellers’ visit | 167 (71.4) | 67 (28.6) | 234 (100.0) |
Respondents (80.6%) believed that vaccination of bird will prevent bird flu and 86.6% are aware that bird flu can be prevented; 86.2% cover their mouth when coughing and sneezing; fewer respondents (23.7%) indicated using face mask while working in the pen and training of workers on prevention measures showed 31.9%; 59.1% wash hands with antiseptics after touching birds (Table
Public health preventive measures that prevent zoonotic transmission of bird flu.
Variable | Frequency (%), |
||
---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Total | |
Hand washing with antiseptic | |||
Before entering pen | 104 (44.8) | 128 (55.2) | 232 (100.0) |
Coming out of pen | 132 (56.9) | 100 (43.1) | 232 (100.0) |
Disinfection of clothing | |||
On entering pen | 62 (26.7) | 170 (73.3) | 232 (100.0) |
On leaving farm | 82 (35.3) | 150 (64.7) | 232 (100.0) |
Hand washing with antiseptic after touching birds | 137 (59.1) | 95 (40.9) | 232 (100.0) |
Covering of mouth on coughing/sneezing | 200 (86.2) | 32 (13.8) | 232 (100.0) |
Use of face mask while in the pen | 55 (23.7) | 177 (76.3) | 232 (100.0) |
Can bird flu be prevented | 201 (86.6) | 31 (13.4) | 232 (100.0) |
Vaccination of birds | 187 (80.6) | 45 (19.4) | 232 (100.0) |
Vaccination of humans | 109 (47.0) | 123 (53.0) | 232 (100.0) |
Training of workers on prevention | 74 (31.9) | 158 (68.1) | 232 (100.0) |
Multiple response,
An 88.4% respondents believe public health information and communication awareness were helpful in controlling bird flu, 35.3% of respondents indicated staying at home to avoid public places; 21.6% and 37.9% respondents were aware that wearing face mask and wearing hand gloves while handling sick birds could prevent bird flu transmission while 47.8% are aware that disinfection of equipments and contact surfaces could prevent bird flu as shown in Table
Control measures involving pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical methods.
Variable | Frequency (%), |
||
---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | Total | |
Use of antiviral drugs | 107 (46.1) | 125 (53.9) | 232 (100.0) |
Use of unorthodox drugs | 68 (29.3) | 164 (70.7) | 232 (100.0) |
Public health information and communication awareness | 205 (88.4) | 27 (11.6) | 232 (100.0) |
Isolation of sick person | 137 (59.1) | 95 (40.9) | 232 (100.0) |
Staying at home to avoid public places | 82 (35.3) | 150 (64.7) | 232 (100.0) |
Wearing protective clothing in public places | 96 (41.4) | 136 (58.6) | 232 (100.0) |
Wearing face mask while handling sick birds | 50 (21.6) | 182 (78.4) | 232 (100.0) |
Wearing hand gloves while handling sick birds | 88 (37.9) | 144 (62.1) | 232 (100.0) |
Disinfection of equipments and contact surfaces | 111 (47.8) | 121 (52.2) | 232 (100.0) |
In this study, demographically, the number of males was greater than females who participated. This could be partly because (1) there are more males owning poultry farms than female in the study area, (2) intrinsically because of poultry farming being modernized with the improved breed stocked, a modernized management system, and highly capital intensive to which men are more likely to venture than women [
Most respondents are in the age groups of 21–40 years and 41–60 years, which when linked to most farms being located at home (69.4%) makes this finding of public health significance. And more, 66.9% of respondents are married. Thus population of high socioeconomic importance is involved in poultry farming and sales, which could be a risk factor for bird flu in humans, this findings is corroborated by earlier work [
Participants’ awareness of bird flu (Table
Respondents’ knowledge of bird flu transmission among birds and from bird to man is moderate (Table
Respondents’ knowledge of transmission from infected birds to man is higher than transmission from infected man (Table
The LPS, an important stakeholder in poultry trade, practiced non consultation of the veterinarian for treatment of morbidity and mortality of poultry in the live animal markets, which is an important finding. This constituted a great risk to public health safety and contributed immensely perhaps to under diagnosis and reporting of avian influenza in Nigeria. The finding of increased interfarm visitation by respondents also showed poor understanding of the epidemiology of the disease, particularly the role of human, poultry, and poultry by-products movements and trade in pathogen spread and persistence in farms (Figures
Worker dressing live chicken after slaughtering without personnel protective equipments (PPE), unhygienic processing that increases risk of viral transmission at the live poultry market.
Cone shaped basket containing duck, chicken, and guinea fowl at the live poultry market.
Wooden cage containing live pigeon and chicken in a multianimal live poultry market transported from the northern states, Nigeria, to Benin City (southern Nigeria).
Awareness on practices (Table
More respondents 86.6% of the respondents believed bird flu is preventable (Table
Public health information and communication awareness though helpful in educating the public on the disease, participants showed low usage of such information in this current study (Table
There is an increased need to improve the awareness of these occupational groups on this important disease towards behavioral and attitudinal change to ensure compliance on the preventive measures. This is so because new farms and farmers have emerged since the recession of avian influenza that are might be insufficiently aware of disease dynamics and prevention. Governmental incentives to cushion the effect of severe bird mortality in farms will greatly enhance behavioral practices to protect farmers and improve disease reporting. An important finding is the poor awareness of avian influenza in humans which reflects poor understanding of pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical measures that could control zoonotic spread. Intersectoral collaboration of the veterinary and medical disciplines are required for case identification through occupational relationship to medical management. The poultry farms and LAM remain important as foci for epidemiological surveillance.
This study will greatly contribute to the understanding of the disease epidemiology in Nigeria. It is helpful in designing appropriate planning towards mitigating socioeconomic consequences associated with avian influenza.
Informed consent of individual participant was gotten.
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Researchers privately funded the study. The authors are sincerely grateful to Dr. Ugochuwkwu, management and staff of Dominion Veterinary Consult, Faith Animal Concept, Jappar Nigeria Ltd., animal doctor, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Benin City, Edo State, for their assistance in data collection. Management of NVRI, Vom, are appreciated for their cooperation.