Knowledge, attitudes and compliance of poultry workers with preventive measures for avian influenza in Lagelu, Oyo State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 1.5 million birds have died or been depopulated as a result of avian influenza infection among poultry in Nigeria. In addition, one human fatal case has been reported in the country. This study was aimed at assessing the knowledge of, attitudes to, and compliance with preventive practices for avian influenza infection among poultry workers in a district in Nigeria.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional epidemiological study design was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire administered at interview to obtain information.
RESULTS: A total of 140 poultry workers from 25 poultry farms were interviewed. Their average age was 29.9+/-9.6 years, and the median duration of work activity was 3 years (range 1 to 21 years). Nearly all respondents (92.9%) had heard about avian influenza, and their main source of information was the mass media. Only 61.4% correctly defined the infection as a viral infection that occurs in all species of birds. Knowledge of transmission and preventive practices for the infection was varied and incomplete among respondents. The majority (78.6%) agreed that avian influenza is a serious and preventable disease; however, the perceived risk of infection was moderate. No vaccination of poultry against avian influenza was reported by 98.6% of respondents, and wearing of personal protective equipment was not a routine practice. Predictors of preventive practice included fewer years in the work (p = 0.049), being married (p = 0.01), high knowledge score (p = 0.014), not being involved in collecting eggs on the farm (p = 0.008), and a large population of poultry on the farm (p = 0.002).
CONCLUSION: There is a need to provide effective and coordinated information to poultry workers about avian influenza and the precautions necessary to avoid spreading the virus among poultry and to humans.