title: Limited Knowledge About Hydatidosis Among Farmers in Northwest Portugal: A Pressing Need for a One Health Approach.
abstract: Hydatidosis is a re-emerging disease. Farmers are a vulnerable population; however, little is known about their awareness of this disease. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to assess sheep and goat farmers' awareness of, perceptions of, and attitudes towards parasitic zoonoses and hydatidosis and (2) to identify the preferred means for promotion of information about hydatidosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted. An in-person questionnaire was constructed and administered to 279 individuals. A coprological survey in shepherd dogs was performed using 88 faecal samples. SPSS version 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Farmers reported several risk practices (69% practice home slaughtering, 46% do not deworm the dogs, 58% of these dogs have contact with other animals) and very little knowledge about hydatidosis (97% have never heard about it). Nevertheless, 75% of the farmers demonstrated interest in receiving information, mainly from a veterinarian. A wide diversity of potentially zoonotic parasites (Trichuris spp., Ancylostomatidae, Toxocara spp., Taeniidae) was found in 61% of the dogs. This survey revealed farmers' lack of knowledge in relation to hydatidosis and a high prevalence of potentially zoonotic parasites in dogs, thus pointing to the need for health education and a closer collaboration between veterinarian and public health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Vasco da Gama University School, Av. José R. Sousa Fernandes, Campus Universitário-Bloco B, Lordemão, 3020-210, Coimbra, Portugal. tlmateus@gmail.com.|Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4990-706, Refóios do Lima, Portugal. tlmateus@gmail.com.|Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal. tlmateus@gmail.com.|EpiUnit, Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal. tlmateus@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Teresa Letra
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.affiliation: EpiUnit, Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal.|Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niza-Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: ICETA/CECA, University of Porto, Public Health Centre Dr. Gonçalves Ferreira, National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, 4000-055, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Madalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vieira-Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis; D000067565:Farmers; D014943:Global Health; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011174:Portugal; D012756:Sheep; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: awareness; echinococcosis–hydatidosis; farmers; one health; zoonosis