Article Sidebar

Submitted
Mar 24, 2022
Accepted
Jan 19, 2023
Published
Mar 31, 2023
Download
PDF
Statistic
Read Counter : 151 Download : 70

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Main Article Content

Abstract

Abattoirs have been risk points for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 with far-reaching implications. We assessed abattoir workers’ knowledge and risk perceptions in line with the Health Belief Model premise, and preventive preparedness towards the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as identified factors associated with its spread at slaughterhouses. A structured questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected workers (n=660) in 11 conveniently selected abattoirs in North-central Nigeria, between January and December 2021. Statistical analysis was performed at a 95% confidence level using OpenEpi 3.1. The majority (96.1%, n=634) of selected workers participated. Most workers (88.9%) were males, and 56.5% were married. Only 24.6% had tertiary education and 48.4% were butchers. Only 33.4% of the workers mentioned that COVID-19 can affect animals, while all (100.0%) reported that it can affect humans. Few of the workers practice handshake avoidance (46.1%), handwashing with soap and water (26.5%), use of hand sanitizer (21.3%), physical distancing (16.6%), and PPE (28.5%) as preventive measures, while the majority use face masks (76.8%). Age, gender, formal education, and occupation were significantly associated with knowledge, perceptions, and preventive practices toward COVID-19. Lack of physical distancing was more likely (OR=6.36; 95% CI: 3.76–10.76) to influence COVID-19 spread, while lack of PPE was 12 times more likely (OR=12.53; 95% CI: 8.01–19.63) to influence the spread of the disease in slaughterhouses. The study highlighted overall poor knowledge, perceptions, and preventive practices regarding the COVID-19 pandemic amongst surveyed workers. Application of the ‘One Health’ approach mitigation would assure food safety, food security, public and environmental health.

Keywords

Abattoir workers; COVID-19 pandemic;Health Belief Model;Preventive practices; Slaughterhouse; Zoonosis

Article Details

How to Cite
Alhaji, N. B., Aliyu, M. B., Adamu, A. M., Adeiza, A. M., Nafarnda, W. D., Usman, A., Odetokun, I. A., Hassan, A., Lawan, M. K., & Fasina, F. O. (2023). Assessment of Abattoir Workers’ Knowledge, Perceptions and Preventive ‎Preparedness during COVID-19 Pandemic in North-central Nigeria: The ‎Health Belief Model. Sahel Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 20(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.54058/saheljvs.v20i1.308

References

  1. Abdelhafz, A. S., Mohammed, Z., Ibrahim, M. E., Ziady, H. ‎H., Alorab, M., Ayyad, M., and Sultan, E.A. ‎‎(2020). Knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of ‎Egyptians towards the novel coronavirus disease ‎‎(COVID-19). Journal of Community Health, ‎‎45(5):881–890.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-‎‎020-00827-7‎
  2. Alhaji, N.B. and Baiwa, M. (2015). Factors affecting ‎workers’ delivery of good hygienic and sanitary ‎operations in slaughterhouses in north-central ‎Nigeria. Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences, ‎‎13(1), 29 37. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/sokjvs.v1‎‎3i1.5‎
  3. Alhaji, N.B., Yatswako, S. and Oddoh, E.Y. (2017). ‎Knowledge, risk perception and mitigation ‎measures towards Ebola virus disease by ‎potentially exposed bushmeat handlers in North-‎central Nigeria: Any critical gap? Zoonoses and ‎Public Health,1–10. ‎https://dx.doi.10.1111/zph.12384‎
  4. Alhaji,N.B,Odetokun, I.A., Lawan, M.K., Adeiza, A.M., ‎ Nafarnda, W.D., and Salihu, M.J. (2022).Risk ‎ assessment and preventive health behaviours ‎ toward COVID-19 amongst bushmeat handlers in ‎ Nigerian wildlife markets: Drivers and One Health ‎ challenge.Acta Tropica, 235, 106621. ‎ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.10662‎‎1‎
  5. Austrian, K., Pinchof, J., Tidwell, J. B., White, C., Abuya, T., ‎and Kangwana, B. (2020). COVID-19 related ‎knowledge, attitudes, practices and needs of ‎households in informal settlements in Nairobi, ‎Kenya. Bulletin of World Health ‎Organization,https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.260‎‎281‎
  6. Bhatia, R. (2020). Need for integrated surveillance at ‎human-animal interface for rapid detection & ‎response to emerging coronavirus infections using ‎one health approach. Indian Journal of Medical ‎Research, 151(2 & 3), 132–135.‎
  7. Bourn, D., Wint, W., Blench, R. and Woolley, E. (1994). ‎Nigerian livestock resources survey. World Animal ‎Review, 78, 49–58.‎
  8. Brug, J., Aro, A.R. and Richardus, J.H. (2009). Risk ‎perceptions and behaviour: Towards pandemic ‎control of emerging infectious diseases: ‎International research on risk perception in the ‎control of emerging infectious diseases. ‎International Journal of Behavioural ‎Medicine,16, 3–6.‎
  9. Dean, A.G., Sullivan, K.M. and Soe, M.M. (2012). Open ‎Source Epidemiologic Statistics for Public Health ‎‎(OpenEpi), Version 2.3.1.‎
  10. Dohoo, I., Martin, W. and Studahl, H. (2012). Measures of ‎Association, in: McPike, S. M, editor. Veterinary ‎Epidemiologic Research, (Second Eds.), University ‎of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, ‎Canada, pp. 136–148.‎
  11. Durand-Moreau, Q., Adisesh, A., MacKenzie, G., Bowley, J., ‎Straube, S., Chan, X.H.,Zelyas, N., Greenhalgh, T. ‎‎(2020). What explains the high rate of transmission ‎of SARS-CoV-2 in meat and poultry facilities? ‎Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, 4 ‎Jun. Retrieved from https://www.cebm.net/covid-‎‎19/what-explains-the-high-rate-of-sars-cov-2-‎transmissionin-meat-and-poultry-facilities-2/ ‎Accessed September 5, 2020.‎
  12. ‎ Dyal, J.W., Grant, M.P., Broadwater, K., Bjork, A., ‎Waltenburg, M.A. and Gibbins, J.D. ‎‎(2020). COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and ‎Poultry Processing Facilities—19 States, April ‎‎2020. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly ‎Report, 69(18), 557–561. ‎http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6918e3externalicon
  13. EFFAT (2020). Covid-19 outbreaks in slaughterhouses and ‎meat processing plants. The European Federation ‎of Food Agriculture and Tourism Union (EFFAT) ‎Report on State of affairs and proposals for policy ‎action at EU level, 25 June. Retrieved from ‎https://effat.org/wp content/uploads/2020/06/EFFAT-Report-Covid-19-outbreaks-in-‎slaughterhouses-and-meat-packing-plants-State-‎of-affairs-and-proposals Accessed September 5, ‎‎2020.‎
  14. FAO (2020). World food prices drop in March. In: FAO - ‎News Article, 2 April,‎ Rome. Retrieved from ‎http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1269050/icode/ Accessed September 5, 2020.‎
  15. Farag, E.A.B.A., Reusken, C.B.E.M., Haagmans, B.L., ‎Mohran, K.A., Raj. V.S. and Pas, S.D. (2015). High ‎proportion of MERS-CoV shedding dromedaries at ‎the slaughterhouse with a potential epidemiological ‎link to human cases, Qatar 2014. Infection ‎Ecology and Epidemiology, 5(1), 28305. ‎http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/iee.v5.28305‎
  16. Gorbalenya, A.E., Baker, S.C., Baric, R.S., de Groot, R.J., ‎Drosten, C., Gulyaeva, A.A., et al. (2020). The ‎species severe acute respiratory syndrome-related ‎coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it ‎SARS-CoV-2. Nature Microbiology, 5(4), 536–‎‎544.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z
  17. Gralinski, L.E. and Menachery, V.D. (2020). Return of the ‎coronavirus: 2019-nCoV. Viruses, 12(2), 135. ‎https://doi.org/10.3390/v12020135‎
  18. Janz, N.K. and Becker, M.H. (1984). The health belief ‎model: A decade later. Health Education and ‎Behaviour,11(1), 1–47.‎
  19. Laranjo, L. (2016). Social Media and Health Behavior ‎Change. Participatory Health Through Social ‎Media, 83–111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-‎‎0-12-809269-9.00006-2‎
  20. Leppin, A. and Aro, A.R. (2009). Risk perceptions related to ‎SARS and avian influenza: Theoretical ‎foundations of current empirical research. ‎International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, ‎‎16(1), 7–29.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-008-‎‎9002-8‎
  21. Leroy, E.M., ArGouilh, M. and Brugere-Picoux, J. (2020). ‎The risk of SARS-CoV-2 ‎ transmission to pets and ‎other wild and domestic animals strongly ‎mandates a one-health strategy to control the ‎COVID-19 pandemic. One Health. 10, 100133.‎
  22. Lu, H., Stratton, C.W. and Tang, Y.W. (2020). The outbreak ‎of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan ‎China: the mystery and the miracle. Journal of ‎Medical Virology, 92(4), 401–‎‎402.https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.25678‎
  23. McNamara, T., Richt, J.A. and Glickman, L. (2020). A ‎critical needs assessment for research in ‎companion animals and livestock following the ‎pandemic of COVID-19 in humans. Vector Borne ‎Zoonotic Disease, 20(6). ‎https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2020.2650‎
  24. Middleton, J., Reintjes R. and Lopes, H. (2020). Meat ‎plants—a new front line in the covid-19 pandemic. ‎These businesses failed in their duty to workers and ‎the wider public health. British Medical Journal, ‎‎370, m2716. ‎http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2716‎
  25. Munir, K., Ashraf, S., Munir, I., Khalid, H., Muneer, M.A., ‎Mukhtar, N., Ashraf, S.A., Imran, M.A., Chaudhry, ‎U., Zaheer, M.U., Arshad, M., Munir, R., Ahmad, ‎A. and Zhao, X. (2020) Zoonotic and reverse ‎zoonotic events of SARS-‎CoV 2 and their impact on global health. Emerging Microbes and Infections, 9(1), 2222 2235. http://‎dx.doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1827984‎
  26. Murdoch, D.R. and French, N.P. 2020. COVID-19: another ‎infectious disease emerging at the animal-human ‎interface. New Zealand Medical Journal, ‎‎133(1510), 12–15.‎
  27. Odetokun, I.A.,Ghali-Mohammed,I.,Alhaji,N.B.,Nuhu, ‎A.A.,Oyedele, H.A.,Ameen, S.A.,et al. ‎‎(2020).Occupational health and food safety risks ‎in Ilorin, Northcentral Nigeria: A cross-sectional ‎survey of slaughterhouse workers.Food Protection ‎Trends, 40(4), 241–250.‎
  28. O’Connor, A.M., Totton, S.C. and Sargeant, J.M. (2020). A ‎rapid review of evidence of infection of pets and ‎livestock with human-associated coronavirus ‎diseases, SARS, MERS, and COVID-19, and ‎evidence of the fomite potential of pets and ‎livestock, in: Systematic Reviews for Animals & ‎Food (SYREAF). Retrieved from ‎http://www.syreaf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/04‎‎/Rapid-Review-of-pets-sfomites_3.pdf Accessed ‎September 5, 2020.‎
  29. Pig Progress (2020). French, Dutch abattoir staff test ‎positive for Covid-19. Retrieved ‎fromhttps://www.pigprogress.net/Health/Articles/2‎‎020/5/Covid-19-French-and-Dutch-‎slaughterhouse-staff-test-positive-588262E/ ‎Accessed September 7, 2020.‎
  30. Shaw, K.A., Szablewski, C.M., Kellner, S., Kornegay, L., ‎Bair, P., Brennan, S., et al. (2019). Psittacosis ‎outbreak among workers at chicken slaughter ‎plants, Virginia and Georgia, USA, 2018. Emerging ‎Infectious Disease, 25, 2143–5. ‎https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2511.190703‎
  31. Sheeran, P. and Abraham, S.C.S. (1996). The health belief ‎model, in: Conner M, Norman P (eds.) Predicting ‎Health Behaviour. Open University Press, ‎Buckingham, UK, pp. 23–‎ ‎61.‎
  32. Thrusfield, M. (2009). Veterinary Epidemiology, third ed. ‎Blackwell Science Ltd, a Blackwell Publishing ‎company, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 ‎‎2DQ, pp. 228–238.‎
  33. Steinberg, J., Kennedy, E.D., Basler, C., Grant, M.P., Jacobs, ‎J.R., Ortbahn, D., et al. (2020). COVID-19 ‎Outbreak Among Employees at a Meat Processing ‎Facility — South Dakota, March–April 2020. ‎MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, ‎‎69(31), 1015–1019. ‎http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6931a2‎
  34. Van Doremalen, N., Bushmaker, T., Morris, D.H., Holbrook ‎, M.G., Gamble, A., Williamson, B.N., Tamin, A., ‎ Harcourt, J.L., Thornburg, N.J., Gerber, S.I., Lloyd-‎ Smith, J.O., de Wit, E., and Munster, V.J.(2020). ‎ Aerosol andsurface stability of SARS-CoV-2 ‎ as compared with SARS-CoV-1. New England ‎ Journal ‎ of Medicine, 382,1564–1567. ‎ https://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2004973‎
  35. Wei, X., Li, X., and Cui, J. (2020). Evolutionary perspectives ‎on novel Coronaviruses identified in pneumonia ‎cases in China. National Science Review, 7(2), ‎‎239–242. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaa009‎
  36. WHOa (2020). Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-‎‎19) and the virus that causes it. Geneva. Retrieved ‎from ‎https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-‎coronavirus2019/technicalguidance/aming-the-‎coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-‎that-causes-it Accessed August 29, 2020.‎
  37. WHOb (2020). Modes of transmission of the virus causing ‎COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution ‎recommendations. Geneva. https://www.who.int/newsroom/commentaries/detail/modes of transmission of virus causing covid 19 implications for ipcprecaution-recommendations Accessed August 29, ‎‎2020.‎
  38. WHOc (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for ‎the public. Geneva. URL. Geneva. Retrieved from ‎https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-‎coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public Accessed ‎August 29, 2020. ‎
  39. WMADH (2001). World Medical Association Declaration of ‎Helsinki. Ethical principles for medical research ‎involving human subjects. Bulletin World Health ‎Organization. 79, 373–374.‎
  40. Yang, X., Yu, Y., Xu, J., Shu, H., Xia, J. and Liu, H. (2020). ‎Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill ‎patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, ‎China:a single-centered, retrospective, ‎observational study. Lancet Respiratory Medicine, ‎https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30079-5‎
  41. Zhang, X. (2020). Chinese livestock farms struggle under ‎COVI-19 restrictions. IFORI Blog: Research Post, ‎‎26 March 2020. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/chinese-‎livestock-farms-struggle-under-covid-19-‎restrictions(accessed 7 September 2020).‎
  42. Zhang,R., Li, Y., Zhang, A.L., Wang, Y. and Molina, M.J. ‎‎(2020) Identifying airborne transmission as the ‎dominant route for the spread of COVID-19. ‎Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, ‎USA, 117 (26), 14857–14863. ‎https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2009637117‎
  43. Zheng J. (2020). SARS-CoV-2: an emerging coronavirus ‎that causes a global threat. International Journal ‎of Biological Sciences, 16(10), 1678–‎‎1685.https://doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.45053‎
  44. Zhou, F., Yu, T., Du, R., Fan, G., Liu, Y. and Liu, Z. (2020). ‎Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of ‎adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: ‎a retrospective cohort study. Lancet, ‎‎395(10229),1054–1062. ‎https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30566-3‎
  45. Zhou, P., Yang, X.L., Wang, X.G., Hu, B., Zhang, L. and ‎Zhang, W. (2020). A pneumonia outbreak ‎associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat ‎origin. Nature, 579 (7798), 270–273. ‎https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2012-7‎