A cross-sectional survey of avian influenza knowledge among poultry farmworkers in Indonesia.

Background: Avian influenza (AI) poses a serious threat to global public health, especially the highly pathogenic form. Awareness and protective behavior among the public, particularly the high-risk populations, are essential for prevention and control. This study aimed to ascertain the level of AI knowledge among Indonesia's poultry farmworkers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted online. A predesigned standardized questionnaire, containing six demographic questions and 14 questions on AI knowledge, was used. The questionnaire was distributed via WhatsApp and email platforms. Volunteers (respondents) included 119 men and 81 women, aged 18-50 years, who work on poultry farms in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using the chi-squared and Fisher exact tests. Results: The study's findings revealed that more than two-thirds (67.0%) of the respondents had heard about AI. Their primary sources of information were health workers (36.0%) and media, especially television (34.0%). The majority of the participants (91.3%) had good knowledge about AI as a contagious infection, transmissible from birds to other birds, animals, or humans. A total of 76.8% of the respondents believed that poultry workers and veterinarians were at high risk of contracting AI infection. Conclusions: The study concluded that poultry workers had good knowledge about AI infection, transmission, and risk variables. Health workers and television were the main sources of information on AI. The level of AI knowledge was high among the respondents.

Avian influenza at animal-human interface: One-health challenge in live poultry retail stalls of Chakwal, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Live poultry retail stalls (LPRSs) are believed to be the source of human infection with avian influenza viruses (AIVs); however, little is known about epidemiology of these viruses in LPRSs of Pakistan. OBJECTIVES: The current study was conducted to estimate the virological and serological prevalence of AIVs in humans and poultry and associated risk factors among seropositive butchers. METHODS: A field survey of LPRSs of Chakwal District was conducted between December 2015 and March 2016. In total, 322 samples (sera = 161 and throat swab = 161) from butchers and 130 pooled oropharyngeal swabs and 100 sera from birds were collected. Baseline sera (n = 100) from general population were also tested. Data were collected by structured questionnaires. Sera were tested by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test further confirmed by micro-neutralization test (MN). Swabs were processed by real-time RT-PCR. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors. RESULTS: In butchers, 15.5% sera were positive for antibodies against H9 virus using a cutoff of ≥40 in HI titer; 6% sera from general population were positive for H9. Seroprevalence in poultry was 89%, and only 2.30% swabs were positive for H9. Presence of another LPRS nearby and the number of cages in the stall were risk factors (OR > 1) for H9 seroprevalence in butchers. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of co-circulation of H9 virus in poultry and exposure of butchers in the LPRSs, which poses a continued threat to public health. We suggest regular surveillance of AIVs in occupationally exposed butchers and birds in LPRSs.