Mesfin Mathewos, Tilahun Atiso, Haben Fesseha, Isayas Asefa Kebede
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic bacterial disease of animals that causes substantial economic losses in underdeveloped countries such as Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2021 to August 2021 in the Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia using a designed questionnaire to assess risk, perception, and protective behavior against bTB. For this purpose, a total of 250 randomly chosen meat handlers working at six main, purposively selected abattoirs were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using STATA v. 13 software. Of the total participants interviewed, 37.0% (57/152) of the respondents strongly agreed that contracting bTB would prevent them from coming to work, whereas 32.4% (44/136) of them stayed in bed for an extended period. Knowledge-based analysis revealed that butcher house men were more aware than abattoir workers about factors related to the spread of bTB from animals to humans (73.3%), that healthy-looking meat contains bTB-causing pathogens (67.5%), and that consumption of contaminated meat can be a source of infection in humans (65.6%). These findings revealed that abattoir and butcher house employees are at higher risk of bTB exposure and a lack of understanding about the nature and transmission of the infection. Thus, abattoir and butcher house workers should be encouraged to pursue regular medical follow-ups and should be provided with better personal protective equipment.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, established in 1921, is published monthly by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. It is among the top-ranked tropical medicine journals in the world publishing original scientific articles and the latest science covering new research with an emphasis on population, clinical and laboratory science and the application of technology in the fields of tropical medicine, parasitology, immunology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, basic and molecular biology, virology and international medicine.
The Journal publishes unsolicited peer-reviewed manuscripts, review articles, short reports, images in Clinical Tropical Medicine, case studies, reports on the efficacy of new drugs and methods of treatment, prevention and control methodologies,new testing methods and equipment, book reports and Letters to the Editor. Topics range from applied epidemiology in such relevant areas as AIDS to the molecular biology of vaccine development.
The Journal is of interest to epidemiologists, parasitologists, virologists, clinicians, entomologists and public health officials who are concerned with health issues of the tropics, developing nations and emerging infectious diseases. Major granting institutions including philanthropic and governmental institutions active in the public health field, and medical and scientific libraries throughout the world purchase the Journal.
Two or more supplements to the Journal on topics of special interest are published annually. These supplements represent comprehensive and multidisciplinary discussions of issues of concern to tropical disease specialists and health issues of developing countries