Cohabitation with farm animals in urban households with and without occupational farm work: associations between participation in educational activities and good hygiene practices in at-risk households cohabiting with farm animals.

Phoupasong Somphou,Takehito Takano,Keiko Nakamura

doi:10.1007/s12199-008-0046-9

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate patterns of cohabitation with farm animals in urban households in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, with regard to animal-to-human disease transmission. We also investigated the association between participation in hygiene-related educational activities and good hygiene practices in households with or without cohabitation with animals. A survey regarding cohabitation with animals, socioeconomic characteristics and participation in educational activities was conducted among 1,497 households randomly sampled from urban districts of Vientiane in 2001. Rates of satisfactory performance of recommended good hygiene practices according to a program commencing in 1996 were compared among households cohabiting with animals with or without participation in educational activities (reference group). Even among households not engaged in agriculture as a major source of income, 54.4, 34.9, 7.9, 3.1 and 35.7% cohabited with chickens, ducks, cattle, buffaloes and dogs, respectively. The percentage of households fulfilling the recommendations for good hygiene practices was 56.7%. The rates of satisfactory hygiene practices among households participating in health education and cohabitating with chickens, ducks or cattle were greater than those in the reference group (OR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.2, 2.3; OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.3, 3.0; OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.0, 4.9) regardless of socioeconomic factors. Households cohabiting with animals showed poorer rates of satisfactory hygiene practices than those without animals. Cohabitation with farm animals is common in urban Vientiane regardless of household involvement in agriculture. Further effort is required to improve hygiene conditions, despite some positive effects of health education even in households cohabiting with animals.

Highlights

Farm animals reared in or around residences have been shown to be sources of animal-transmitted diseases [1, 2], and living in an urban area with a high density of cohabitation with animals is regarded as a risk factor of such infection
The majority of human cases of avian influenza were not associated with working on large poultry farms, but rather were among people coming into close contact with poultry in their backyards or homes [5, 6]
The results of the present study revealed variations in household cohabitation with farm animals in urban areas in Vientiane

Summary

Introduction

Farm animals reared in or around residences have been shown to be sources of animal-transmitted diseases [1, 2], and living in an urban area with a high density of cohabitation with animals is regarded as a risk factor of such infection. Living closely with farm animals has long been part of people’s lifestyle in various regions around the world and provides benefits with regard to nutrition for the family and contribution to the household finances [3]. The recent worldwide spread of avian influenza and reports of its human cases have highlighted the urgent need for prevention of infectious diseases transmitted by animals. A World Health Organization (WHO) report included laboratory test results that confirmed 379 human cases of avian influenza worldwide, including 239 deaths, by 8 April 2008 [4]. The risk of animal-to-human transmission of this disease in places close to human residences is a significant health concern

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