Wet markets, live animals, and infection concerns in Thailand: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

This study aimed to examine patterns of wet market attendance, live animal purchasing, and social contact behaviours in Thailand, and to assess perceived infection risks in these settings. A total of 1050 Thai residents across multiple regions of Thailand, aged 16–69 years (50.8% female) were recruited through street-intercept sampling. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 16 and residence in Thailand; exclusion criteria included inability to complete the interview. Our results found, 42% of respondents reported attending wet markets at least several times per month. Attendance was higher amongst women, those with lower education, and smaller households. Frequent market attendees reported more physical contact (r = 0.20, p < .001), perceived markets as more dangerous (r = −0.34, p < .001), but also reported lower perceived control over infection. Seventy-nine respondents reported live animal purchases, with freshness and taste cited as primary motivations; participants who did so also expressed more concern about infection risk from the market, and perceived less control over potential infection. Protective behaviours such as handwashing (85.5%) and avoiding animal contact (71.3%) were widely reported. Wet markets remain a common setting for food purchasing in Thailand and are associated with increased social contact and perceived infection risk. These findings highlight the need for targeted One Health interventions that consider behavioural, demographic, and cultural factors. Further research should explore longitudinal changes in market behaviour and risk perception following novel zoonotic outbreaks such as COVID-19, particularly amongst high-exposure groups.