Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Newcastle Disease Prevention in Poultry among Small Scale Poultry Farmers in Lusaka West, Zambia

Abstract

Introduction: Newcastle disease is a viral disease caused by virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains infecting avian species worldwide. Infected birds may show signs of loss of appetite, coughing, gasping, nasal discharge, watery eyes, and nervous signs such as paralysis and convulsions. The disease is spread primarily through direct contact between healthy birds and the bodily discharges of infected birds. The study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices on Newcastle disease prevention among small-scale poultry farmers in Lusaka West, Zambia. Materials and methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design, was used and the study was conducted in five areas of Lusaka West. Probability sampling method was utilized to select a sample size of 384 poultry farmers. Closed-ended structured questionnaires were used to collect data which was analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: The study showed that the respondents had a good level of knowledge (58.8%); positive attitudes (71.1%); and positive practices (73.2%) on Newcastle disease prevention. Conclusion: The obtained results could be attributed to the levels of experience and fear of losing business profits due to bird mortalities as well as the level of experience most respondents had in poultry farming. This was observed by the significant association between knowledge and experience (p-value - 0.004). This calls for the promotion of awareness and knowledge on the importance of vaccination of birds as a means of prevention for Newcastle disease and enhancing Newcastle disease detection and control through rapid test kits & others.