Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Rural Slaughterhouse Workers towards Caprine and Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) is a significant zoonotic concern in livestock. Caprine tuberculosis (TB) has not been extensively studied like bovine TB in Nigeria. Despite goats and other small ruminants sharing a microenvironment with potentially infected cattle in most rural areas and slaughterhouses across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, this study was carried out to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAPS) of rural slaughterhouse workers in Gombe State, Nigeria, towards caprine and zoonotic TB. Using semi-structured closed-end questionnaires. Of the 155 total respondents, 148(94.48%) were male and age distribution showed that the majority of the respondents were between the ages of 14-29(30.30%) and 30-45 (41.90%).  Out of 155 respondents, 123(79.34%) had at least a secondary school certificate (SSCE). KAPs assessment showed that one-hundred and thirty-five (135) representing (81.1 %) of the respondents had a very good score in assessment of their knowledge about caprine and zoonotic TB; while one-forty-nine (149) representing (96.1%) of the respondents had a very good score in evaluation of their attitude towards TB however, respondents practices assessment was sub-optimally poor with 79 respondents representing (50.1%) scored below 40%. Chi-square analyses showed that the level of education of the respondents was significantly associated with their scores in assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices towards caprine and zoonotic TB. The higher the level of education of the respondents, the higher their scores in the assessment of their knowledge, attitude and practices towards zoonotic and caprine TB.