Risk perceptions of avian influenza among poultry farmers on smallholder farms along border areas of Thailand

Abstract

IntroductionThailand has not reported any cases of avian influenza since 2008. However, avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in neighboring countries may have potential for transmission to humans. The aim of this study was to assess risk perceptions of poultry farmers and traders in three border provinces of Thailand adjacent to Laos.Materials and methodsPoultry farmers and traders were interviewed in-person during October–December 2021 by health and livestock officials using a standardized questionnaire to collect demographics, job histories, knowledge, and practices related to avian influenza. Knowledge and practices were scored using 22 questions with a 5-point scale. Exploratory data analysis scores above and below the 25th percentile was used as the cut-off point for perception scores. The cut-off point was used to describe perceptions of respondent characteristics in order to compare differences between groups with more or < 10 years of experience. Age adjusted perceptions of disease risk were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression.ResultsOf the 346 respondents, the median risk perception score was 77.3% (22 questions with a 5-point scale, so the total score was 110). Having more than 10 years of experience in poultry farming was significantly associated with an increased perception of the risk of avian influenza (adjusted odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1–15.1). Thirty-two percent of participants perceived avian influenza as a risk only during the winter season, and more than one-third of the participants (34.4%) had not received recent information about new viral strains of avian influenza.DiscussionParticipants did not perceive some key information on the risks associated with avian influenza. Regular training on the risks of avian influenza could be provided by national, provincial and/or local officials and they, in turn, could share what they learn with their communities. Participants who had greater experience in poultry farming were associated with greater risk perception. Experienced poultry farmers and traders working on poultry farms can be a part of the community mentorship program to share their experiences and knowledge on avian influenza with new poultry producers to improve their perception of disease risk.

An overlooked poultry trade network of the smallholder farms in the border provinces of Thailand, 2021: implications for avian influenza surveillance

“…Finally, we holistically analyzed the network at the subdistrict level to describe the poultry trade patterns in the study area. A better insight into the demographic characteristics of the participants involved was previously addressed in our previous study ( 40 ).…”

“…An additional study on the impacts of socioeconomic factors on poultry trade may provide insights into this aspect of the trade network. Indeed, we used our questionnaire results to investigate the impact of certain socioeconomic factors on risk perception in one of our prior studies ( 40 ). However, there was still some long-distance poultry trade, and our findings were consistent with previous studies on livestock movements in Thailand, which showed that most of the movements were managed locally with some remote translocations ( 15 , 16 ).…”

Characterizing the domestic-wild bird interface through camera traps in an area at risk for avian influenza introduction in Northern Italy

“…Effective biosecurity farming practices hinge not only on the implementation of established management protocols but also on the farmers' awareness of the consequences of improper behaviors on pathogens’ introduction and transmission to domestic birds ( Hinjoy et al, 2023 ). The utilization of visual evidence depicting wild birds around poultry houses, such as the footages recorded through camera traps, could facilitate health authorities in educating and raising awareness between stakeholders regarding wild bird presence and potential pathogen spillover opportunities.…”

Building a pathway to One Health surveillance and response in Asian countries

“…The strategy will require the participation of several countries in order to mount effective regional surveillance for emerging diseases, with leadership by key people within the countries [ 25 ]. It is essential that the issues be seen from the viewpoint of animal owners as well as decision makers, since this is likely to influence their willingness to become involved and to act on information [ [188] , [189] , [190] ].…”