title: Knowledge of Bovine Tuberculosis, Cattle Husbandry and Dairy Practices amongst Pastoralists and Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and zoonotic tuberculosis (zTB) has relied upon surveillance and slaughter of infected cattle, milk pasteurisation and public health education. In Cameroon, like many other sub-Saharan African countries, there is limited understanding of current cattle husbandry or milk processing practices or livestock keepers awareness of bTB. This paper describes husbandry and milk processing practices within different Cameroonian cattle keeping communities and bTB awareness in comparison to other infectious diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population based cross-sectional sample of herdsmen and a questionnaire were used to gather data from pastoralists and dairy farmers in the North West Region and Vina Division of Cameroon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pastoralists were predominately male Fulanis who had kept cattle for over a decade. Dairy farmers were non-Fulani and nearly half were female. Pastoralists went on transhumance with their cattle and came into contact with other herds and potential wildlife reservoirs of bTB. Dairy farmers housed their cattle and had little contact with other herds or wildlife. Pastoralists were aware of bTB and other infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and fasciolosis. These pastoralists were also able to identify clinical signs of these diseases. A similar proportion of dairy farmers were aware of bTB but fewer were aware of foot-and-mouth and fasciolosis. In general, dairy farmers were unable to identify any clinical signs for any of these diseases. Importantly most pastoralists and dairy farmers were unaware that bTB could be transmitted to people by consuming milk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current cattle husbandry practices make the control of bTB in cattle challenging especially in mobile pastoralist herds. Routine test and slaughter control in dairy herds would be tractable but would have profound impact on dairy farmer livelihoods. Prevention of transmission in milk offers the best approach for human risk mitigation in Cameroon but requires strategies that improved risk awareness amongst producers and consumers.
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.|Farm Animal Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Regional Centre of Wakwa, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Saidou M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hamman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, Wirral, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kenton L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Parasitology Unit, Faculty of Allied Medical Science, University of Calabar, Nigeria.|Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory Bamenda, Hospital Roundabout, Bamenda, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Egbe F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Nkongho
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, B.P. 454, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Victor Ngu
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Ngwa
authors.affiliation: Cameroon Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1457, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tanya
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, NWR Regional Delegation, Bamenda, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Walters N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Andu
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory Bamenda, Hospital Roundabout, Bamenda, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ndip
authors.affiliation: The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Handel
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazeri
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muwonge
authors.affiliation: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Barend M de C
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bronsvoort
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon; D002417:Cattle; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003612:Dairying; D000067565:Farmers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission