title: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Risk to Human Infection due to Mycobacterium bovis among Cattle Farming Communities in Western Uganda.
abstract: A cross-sectional study involving multistage cluster sampling was undertaken in Kashari county, Mbarara district, western Uganda, in which quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding risk of human infection with zoonotic tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis among cattle farmers. Of 496 respondents, 50% were farm owners and 50% herdsmen. Males were 70.9% of all the study participants. Among these, 37.5% had good knowledge, 41.4% had positive attitudes and 75.2% good practices regarding zoonotic tuberculosis. In the multivariable model, good knowledge was associated with having ever received health education, spending more than 5 years keeping cattle, having heard of cattle condemned at the abattoir due to tuberculosis and marital status. Positive attitudes were associated with having ever received health education, having heard of cattle condemned at the abattoir due to tuberculosis and being a farm owner versus being a herdsman. Good practices were associated with health education and good knowledge of the disease. Overall, knowledge and attitudes towards zoonotic tuberculosis due to M. bovis in humans was found to be low. While the majority of the respondents reported good practices, there were some still consuming raw milk and its products, which may predispose them to infection and indicates the need for greater outreach for zoonotic tuberculosis education.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Health Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Kazoora
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Majalija
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Health Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiwanuka
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Epidemiology, Michigan State University, Veterinary Medical Center, East Lansing, MI, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaneene
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Tuberculosis; dairy cattle; epidemiology; public health; zoonosis