Knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with giardiasis among cattle handlers in Jere, Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of cattle handlers (cattle owners, cattle attendants and veterinarians) concerning giardiasis in Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria. Using a pre-validated questionnaire, 278 cattle handlers from six wards of Jere were interviewed, with a 84% (n = 252) response rate. The majority of the respondents were aged 27–38 years (62.3%), male (93.7%) and Muslim (96%). Regarding the control and prevention of giardiasis, 31.3%, 44.8% and 31.3% of the cattle handlers had good knowledge, attitudes and practices, respectively. The overall mean scores of 59.5%, 64.8% and 64.1% for knowledge, attitudes and practices were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the ≥ 75% cut-off mark set for a good KAP score on giardiasis. Furthermore, there was a moderate, positive and significant (p < 0.05) correlation between the knowledge score and the attitudes and practices scores. The handlers’ knowledge and attitudes had significant associations (p < 0.05) with their levels of education and years of experience, signifying that high levels of education and years of experience were associated with improved awareness of giardiasis among cattle handlers. The study concluded that there is a potential risk of cattle handlers being infected with Giardia lamblia based on their overall suboptimal levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices toward giardiasis observed in the study area. Raising awareness among cattle handlers about the public health implications of giardiasis in the study area was recommended.