title: Poultry slaughtering practices in rural communities of Bangladesh and risk of avian influenza transmission: a qualitative study.
abstract: Slaughtering sick poultry is a risk factor for human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza and is a common practice in Bangladesh. This paper describes human exposures to poultry during slaughtering process and the customs and rituals influencing these practices in two Bangladeshi rural communities. In 2009, we conducted 30 observations to observe slaughtering practices and 110 in-depth and short interviews and 36 group discussions to explore reasons behind those practices. The villagers reported slaughtering 103 poultry, including 20 sick poultry during 2 months. During different stages of slaughtering, humans, the environment, healthy poultry, and other animals were exposed to poultry blood and body parts. Women performed most of the slaughtering tasks, including evisceration. Defeathering required the most time and involved several persons. During festivals, ceremonies, and rituals, many people gathered and participated in the slaughtering of poultry. Exposure to poultry slaughtering created numerous opportunities for potential avian influenza transmission. Strategies that can be further tested to determine if they reduce the risk of transmission include skinning the carcasses of sick poultry, using hot water for defeathering and cleaning, using a bucket to contain slaughtering blood and carcass, burying the offal and encouraging handwashing.
authors.affiliation: Center for Communicable Diseases (CCD), icddr,b, 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sharani, Mohakhali, GPO Box 128, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh, nadiarimi@icddrb.org.
authors.forename: Nadia Ali
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rimi
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: Kazi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishtiak-Ahmed
authors.forename: Salah Uddin
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: M A Yushuf
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sharker
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uz Zaman
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azziz-Baumgartner
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Gurley
authors.forename: Nazmun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nahar
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Luby
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001459:Bangladesh; D001717:Birds; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000635:transmission*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult