A community-based knowledge, attitude, and practice survey on rabies among cattle owners in selected areas of Bhutan

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Apr 1;13(4):e0007305. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007305. eCollection 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Rabies remains a disease of significant zoonotic and economic concern in rabies endemic areas of Bhutan. Rabies outbreaks in livestock threaten the livelihoods of subsistence farming communities and pose a potential public health threat. As a part of identifying approaches to prevent rabies in cattle, a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) survey was conducted among cattle owners in selected rural areas of the southern rabies high-risk zone and low-risk zone in eastern Bhutan. Between March and April 2017, 562 cattle owners (281 in the east and 281 in the south) were interviewed using a questionnaire. Eighty-eight percent of the participants had heard of rabies but only 39% of the participants who had heard of rabies had adequate knowledge about rabies. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that residing in the south [OR = 9.25 (95% CI: 6.01-14.53)] and having seen a rabies case [OR = 2.46 (95% CI: 1.6-3.82)] were significantly associated with having adequate knowledge about rabies. Based on our scoring criteria, 65% of the total participants who had heard of rabies had a favorable attitude towards rabies control and prevention programs. The participants residing in the east were two times more likely to have a favourable attitude than their counterparts in the south [OR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.43-3.05)]. More than 70% of the participants reported engaging in farm activities such as examining the oral cavity of sick cattle and assisting cattle during parturition. Only 25% of the participants reported using personal protective equipment while undertaking these activities. Despite a high level of rabies awareness, we observed that there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge about rabies regarding susceptible hosts, transmission routes, the health outcome of rabies infection in humans, and appropriate health-seeking behaviours. This study highlights the need to strengthen rabies education programs in rural communities to address the knowledge gaps that have been identified.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Awareness
  • Bhutan / epidemiology
  • Bites and Stings
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology
  • Cattle Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Cattle Diseases / virology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
  • Disease Outbreaks / veterinary*
  • Farmers*
  • Farms
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rabies / epidemiology
  • Rabies / prevention & control
  • Rabies / veterinary*
  • Rural Population / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult
  • Zoonoses / epidemiology
  • Zoonoses / prevention & control*
  • Zoonoses / virology

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work