Knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with brucellosis among livestock owners and its public health impact in Punjab, Pakistan

Brucellosis is a severe contagious disease that causes reproductive failure and has zoonotic potential with profound public health importance. It is one of the most important bacterial diseases, with more than 500,000 human cases annually worldwide. Human infection is acquired by consumption of unpasteurized milk or through direct contact with the infected animals or their aborted fetuses. The present study aimed to appraise the livestock owners’ knowledge, attitude, and practices related to brucellosis in Punjab, Pakistan. Among the livestock owners, 600 were interviewed to collect their knowledge about brucellosis and its zoonotic importance. The study population comprised smallholder dairy farmers having - up to 20 animals in their household. Of the 600 respondents, 61.3% and 87.3% were unaware of the term brucellosis and its zoonotic potential. Correlations show that the farmers’ educational status was positively associated with knowledge of the zoonotic potential of brucellosis (p < 0.001). More than 60% of the participants did not - suspect unpasteurized milk and raw meat as potential infection sources. Eighty-five per cent of the workers were found to be unaware about their local diagnostic test facility for brucellosis. Contact with aborted fetuses and other potential sources of infection without protective measures were common. Our study results delineated the association of diagnosed positive herd history for brucellosis on extending their calving period after abortion (p < 0.001). Our study indicated that the knowledge of brucellosis among the livestock owners was inadequate, which may increase the zoonotic risk. To improve awareness, extensive control programs are needed with a focus on rural and underdeveloped areas of the country to prevent animal-to-human transmission and reduce the disease incidence.