Risk perceptions and preventive preparedness towards avian influenza (H5N1) at live bird markets in North-central Nigeria: Public health implications

Introduction: Live bird markets (LBMs) provide optimal conditions for transfer of infections, evolution of infectious pathogens and their transmission among animals and humans.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on poultry traders between October 2015 and May 2016 to assess their knowledge/awareness and zoonotic risk perceptions about HPAI H5N1, and biosecurity practices against the disease at LBMs in North-central Nigeria.Results: A total of 403 poultry traders: 261 bird vendors (67.8%) and 142 bird collectors (35.2%) with mean age of 42.3±12.3 years participated in the study. The majority of vendors (90.8%) and collectors (78.9%) reported that H5N1 outbreaks had occurred in Nigeria. Only 5.4% of vendors and 12.0% of collectors perceived handling of wild birds at markets to be of high zoonotic risk. Less than half of vendors (49.0%) and collectors (38.7%) practiced isolation of sick birds from the flocks as biosecurity measure. Vendors were less likely (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.37-0.89) to possess satisfactory knowledge about HPAI H5N1 than the collectors. Poultry traders with tertiary education were more likely (OR: 5.81; 95% CI: 2.91-11.60) to practice satisfactory biosecurity measures against HPAI H5N1 than traders with no formal education.Significance: Though most traders expressed appreciable epidemiological knowledge about HPAI H5N1, their levels of zoonotic risk perceptions and practices of biosecurity measures in the markets were suboptimal, posing public health challenges. Development of educational programmes and regulatory measures that will enhance poultry traders’ awareness level and better biosecurity management of zoonotic risks prevention and control at LBMs is recommended.