Knowledge and attitude of poultry farmers towards biosecurity against zoonotic avian influenza H5N1 in Kaduna state, Nigeria

The reported outbreak of Avian Influenza (H5N1) in August through September, 2015 prompted this cross-sectional study carried out between February and April, 2016. The study sought to appraise the knowledge and attitude of poultry farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria, regarding biosecurity against Avian Influenza. A total of 112 poultry farmers randomly selected from two of the three sensational zones in the state were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire Primary data generated were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The socio-economic characteristics of the respondents revealed a mean age of 39.5 years, predominance of male farmers and a reasonably high level of educational attainment. Majority of the respondents (58.0%) were small scale operators; 30.4% medium scale and 11.6% large scale. The level of awareness of disease was found to be high (86.6%), while only 38.4% had knowledge of the cause and nature (clinical signs) of infection. Results also revealed poor observance of biosecurity measures (BSMs) among the respondents. The regression analysis of socio-economic variables showed that only educational status and flock size significantly influenced adoption of BSMs. Constraints limiting strict compliance with BSMs were identified, and recommendations aimed at enhancing biosecurity against H5N1 were proffered.