Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to bovine tuberculosis in Benin: a mixed One Health survey among farmers, veterinarians, and butchers.

چکیده اصلی

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is an underrecognized zoonotic disease in sub-Saharan Africa affecting health, food security, and livelihoods. In Benin, research mainly detects it in animal products and carcasses, but behavioral and sociocultural factors related to exposure and transmission are poorly documented. In areas with livestock farming, pastoral mobility, human-animal interactions, and unsafe animal product consumption, assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is crucial for understanding transmission within a One Health approach. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to bovine tuberculosis among livestock farmers, veterinarians, and butchers/slaughterhouse workers in Benin's Agricultural Development Pole 4 (PDA4), while integrating quantitative and qualitative findings within a One Health framework. A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey was conducted among livestock farmers, veterinarians, and slaughterhouse workers across seven municipalities in PDA4. Quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Among livestock farmers (n = 164), knowledge was low (41.6%), attitudes favorable (80.0%), and practices moderate (51.5%). A positive correlation existed between knowledge and attitudes (ρ = 0.42; p < 0.001), but no link between knowledge and practices. Veterinarians (n = 36) had high knowledge (80.0%), but lower attitudes (42.2%) and practices (44.8%), with a negative correlation between knowledge and attitudes (ρ = -0.385; p = 0.02). Among butchers (n = 11), knowledge was intermediate (63.64%), attitudes very favorable (96.97%), and practices satisfactory (69.09%), with no significant correlations. Qualitative findings identified key behavioral factors like raw milk consumption, traditional practices, economic constraints, and non-biomedical disease perceptions. Major risk factors included close contact, shared water points, and transboundary herd movement. Knowledge of bTB is limited in surveyed departments. Territorial differences influence practices and risks; two communes are more vulnerable because of intensive pastoralism and shared watering points. Knowledge gaps reflect behaviors shaped by awareness, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. The study emphasizes tailored, culturally sensitive control strategies within a One Health approach. These findings should be interpreted considering the cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inference, and the limited number of butchers surveyed, which restricts the statistical power of subgroup analyses.

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