Knowledge, attitudes and practices on bovine brucellosis among smallholder livestock keepers in Rungwe district, Tanzania

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of smallholder livestock farmers on brucellosis in Rungwe District, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted among cattle keepers practicing communal grazing in the district using a structured questionnaire. One hundred cattle keepers provided information about their KAP for brucellosis. Out of 100 participants, 12.8% did not know how the disease is transmitted in cattle, 20.5% stated mating, 37.2% stated placenta and 29.5% stated shared grazing area as the main transmission routes of the disease. Some respondents reported abortion (20.5%), bull infertility (25.6%) and weak calves (38.5%) as clinical signs in cattle, while 15.4% did not know the clinical signs. Drinking raw milk (23.1%), assisting delivery or handling placenta (16.7%), slaughtering infected animals (29.5%) and handling abortion cases (21.8%) were reported as means of brucellosis transmission to humans. A total of 11.5% of participants did not know the symptoms of brucellosis in humans, while 16.7%, 47.4% and 24.4% cited fever, headache and flu-like symptoms, respectively, as symptoms of brucellosis in humans. Most respondents had bad attitudes and practices toward brucellosis; for instance, 59.8% of respondents consumed unboiled milk. It is concluded that most livestock farmers in Rungwe district have poor knowledge of brucellosis, and their attitudes and practices put them and susceptible cattle on their farms at risk of contracting the disease. Education campaigns on the disease prevalence, socioeconomic effects, mode of transmission and control measures are recommended to control brucellosis in Rungwe District and the country at large.