Investigation on public knowledge, attitude and practices related to pet management and zoonotic canine diseases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Many infectious diseases are transmitted from animals to human and the other way. Despite this there is limited information about public knowledge on pet husbandry and diseases control practices in Addis Ababa. The objectives of this study are to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices towards pet husbandry, contact-related attitude and zoonotic diseases among dog-owning households in Addis Ababa. A cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted to assess
the public’s perception. A total of 252 dog-owning households from four sub-cities
of Addis Ababa were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Of the total 252
respondents, majority of them (70.2%) did not take their dog to veterinary service
on regular basis (at least once a year). Over half of the respondents (59.1%) fed raw
meat to their dogs and 79.3% of the owners obtained the meat from local unlicensed
markets. The majority of the respondents (87%) in the current study believed the
risk of acquiring zoonotic diseases from dogs. However, most of them (95.4%) knew
only rabies and only 4.6% of them knew parasitic diseases in addition to rabies.
Only 61.9% of the respondents reported having ever received information about
pet-associated diseases or precautions to reduce the risk of these diseases. Out of
those who received information, 48% of them obtained from their friends and/or
relatives. Only 9% and 9.6% of them received information from veterinarians and
health workers, respectively. The result suggests a need for awareness creation on
proper pet management and zoonotic diseases prevention practices for pet-owning
households, with concerted efforts by veterinary, human and public health  professionals.

Keywords: Attitude, Canine zoonosis, Knowledge, Practices