KNOWLEDGE OF AND PRACTICES AROUND ZOONOTIC DISEASES AMONGST ACTORS IN THE LIVESTOCK TRADE IN THE LAKE VICTORIA CRESCENT ECOSYSTEM IN EAST AFRICA

Background Zoonotic diseases pose a direct threat to health and livelihoods in the communities in which they occur. A combination of anthropogenic, animal, and ecosystem activities drives the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases. One Health approaches are necessary to alleviate disease impacts. To be effective, understanding people's Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices concerning these disease threats are essential for their prevention, control, and eventual elimination. Livestock traders interact closely with livestock, which puts them at high risk of infection and creates conditions by which they may spread zoonotic pathogens. It is, thus, essential to examine practices among actors involved in livestock trade to understand how well to mitigate these risks in a non-pastoral production system. Methods Busia County was selected for this study because it is a predominantly crop-producing area, with cross-border (between Kenya and Uganda) trade in livestock. A qualitative study was conducted among the actors in the livestock trade on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices that may contribute to the spread, control, and prevention of zoonotic disease transmission. A thematic analysis framework was used to categorize and synthesize data from In-depth interviews (IDIs) and the Key informant interviews(KIIs). Results Whereas participants could list the signs of zoonotic diseases, they could not identify these diseases by name, which, demonstrates insufficient knowledge of zoonosis. Brucellosis, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Anthrax were broadly mentioned as diseases of importance by many actors this shows that they are the common livestock diseases in the area. The actors identified sick animals by checking for dropped ears, mass mucus production; diarrhea; bloody urinal discharge; and general animal activity levels, an animal that is not actively eating or walking will be a sign of sickness. To manage the spread of these diseases, they wash their animals, isolate sick animals from the rest of the stock; vaccinate their animals against certain diseases as preventive practices, they also seek help from animal health professionals for the sick animals as curative practices. The practices of skinning dead animals before burying them and the consumption of dead carcasses risk the increase of zoonotic disease transmission. These practices are drawn from cultural values and beliefs about the curses and potential loss of entire stock if livestock is unceremoniously disposed of upon death, irrespective of the cause. Conclusions and recommendations Livestock actors have agency in the prevention and elimination of zoonotic diseases, hence, they need to be involved when developing intervention programs and policies for the extension services. Training these actors as a continuum of animal health workers blends lay and professional knowledge, which alongside their intense contact with large numbers of animals, becomes a critical disease surveillance tool this may also play a role in supporting state actors in disease surveillance and response. There is an urgent need to increase awareness of zoonoses within livestock keepers and traders, these campaigns, need should deploy multi-disciplinary teams with an understanding of human health, animal health, and social scientists so that the risky but deeply rooted traditional practices can be minimized.