Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Brucellosis in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Brucellosis is a serious zoonotic infectious disease. Humans contract the disease by coming into contact with infected animals or their products. In Saudi Arabia, brucellosis is considered to be an endemic disease, with an annual incidence of 15.34 per 100,000 population from 2003 to 2018. Because of the devastating consequences for human health, raising awareness is an essential component in preventing brucellosis. Our study aims to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding brucellosis among the residents of Taif City, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey conducted in June-October 2022 targeted the population of Taif City, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected by an online questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, awareness regarding brucellosis, behavior and attitude toward animals, and consuming animal-based products.Results: A total of 743 participants were included. The participants were 18-70 years old, 63.4% were females, and 79.4% had a university education. Only 450 participants answered yes to the first question: "Do you know about brucellosis or have you heard about it?" Therefore, they were asked to answer knowledge questions. It was found that out of 450 participants, 46.9% demonstrated a "poor" knowledge level. Participants aged 26-55 years old demonstrated significantly more "good" knowledge than the other age groups (p = 0.001). Males demonstrated significantly more "good" knowledge (30.6%) than females (14.9%) (p < 0.001). The practices and attitudes of animal breeder participants (16.2%) were satisfactory because more than half of them did not participate in the birth of animals (53.4%), 50.7% did not participate in the birth with abortion, and approximately 61% used gloves when taking care of animals. The practices were unsatisfactory because 53.4% of the participants reported that they "always" eat the meat of animals they keep, and 64.4% reported that they personally slaughter sheep or cows from the herd. Conclusion: Our study showed that most of the participants were aware of brucellosis; however, at the same time, the knowledge level regarding brucellosis was not satisfactory.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice related to brucellosis among livestock farmers and meat handlers in Saudi Arabia

“…These results resemble findings from a similar study from Jordan (14). Meanwhile, the studies on the Saudi public revealed that 53.1-90% exhibited good knowledge of brucellosis, with gender, age, and education level influencing awareness (9)(10)(11)(12). The significant association between higher educational levels and good knowledge of brucellosis reported in these studies was similar to our opposite finding that lack of education was associated with poor knowledge.…”

“…Our study found that most participants have heard of brucellosis (91.4% of farmers, 95.8% of commercial owners, and 98.2% of private owners). These percentages exceeded those came from studies that assessed the awareness of the Saudi public of brucellosis, where four studies from different regions involving 311 to 1,244 participants (with a collective total of 3,353 participants) found that only more than half of the surveyed populations were aware of the disease (range 50-73.6%) (9)(10)(11)(12). This shows that brucellosis is widely known in Saudi Arabia; though, people working with animals were more likely to have heard of it.…”

“…Four studies from different regions in Saudi Arabia surveyed the public regarding their knowledge and attitude regarding brucellosis (9)(10)(11)(12). Collectively, the studies included 3,353 participants.…”

“…Having heard of brucellosis was reported by a total of 1,913 (57.1%) participants with a range of 50-73.6% between the studies who mostly demonstrated a good knowledge (range 53.1-90%). Factors such as being a male, old, and having a high level of education were significantly associated with good knowledge (10)(11)(12). While evaluating the understanding of the general public regarding brucellosis holds significance, it is crucial to assess the knowledge and behavior of individuals working with animals.…”

Prevalence of mineral bone disorders in chronic kidney disease patients in Gharbia governorate

“…It may also be characterized by the detection of urine albumin with an excretion rate over 300 mg per 24 hours [1] . CKD impacts around 5-10% of the global population, with an estimated annual incidence rate of around 5-8% [2] . Chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is a systemic disease that affects the whole body.…”