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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.

Sec. One Health

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1556573

This article is part of the Research Topic Emerging Zoonotic Diseases: Understanding and Mitigating Risks at Animal-Human Interfaces View all 7 articles

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Bushmeat Value Chain Actors in Nigeria towards mpox and other zoonoses

Provisionally accepted
Otto Vianney Muhinda Otto Vianney Muhinda 1Adeyinka Adedeji Adeyinka Adedeji 2Abraham Albert Zirra Abraham Albert Zirra 1Laibané Dieudonné Dahourou Laibané Dieudonné Dahourou 3Ayodele O Majekodunmi Ayodele O Majekodunmi 1*Yakubu Joel Atuman Yakubu Joel Atuman 2Toyin Olubade Toyin Olubade 2Mathew Sabah Mathew Sabah 4Benjamin Emikpe Benjamin Emikpe 5
  • 1 Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Abuja, Nigeria
  • 2 National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Nigeria
  • 3 Institut des Sciences de l’Environnement et du Développement Rural (ISEDR), Université Daniel Ouezzin, Souri, Burkina Faso
  • 4 Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Abuja, Nigeria, Nigeria
  • 5 School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The bushmeat trade is a vital source of protein and income in Nigeria but presents significant public health risks due to its potential zoonotic disease transmission. Despite these risks, there has been limited exploration of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of individuals involved in the bushmeat value chain in Nigeria, particularly concerning food safety and transmission of wildlife related zoonoses such as mpox and others.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted across three Nigerian states -Lagos, Rivers, and Bauchi -selected for their significant bushmeat trade activities and burden of zoonoses such as mpox and Lassa Fever . Using purposive sampling, data were collected from 238 participants (74 hunters, 115 traders, and 49 consumers) through structured questionnaires using Kobotools. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of these value chain actors relating to disease transmission risk, handling and consumption of wildlife were evaluated.Results: Knowledge of zoonotic disease transmission was limited, particularly among hunters (8.1% ), traders (10.4%), and consumers (12.2%). Attitudes toward zoonotic disease risk were largely risky, with most actors underestimating the health risks associated with bushmeat handling. Results of practices of the value chain actors., revealed poor hand-hygiene practices and poor usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as after wildlife handling, further amplified the public health risks.Educational level emerged as a significant predictor of knowledge and attitudes, but not practices, with tertiary-educated participants displaying significantly higher knowledge and positive attitudes (p < 0.05).This study reveals critical knowledge deficits and risky attitudes and practices within the bushmeat value chain. Results indicate urgent need for targeted, culturally sensitive, public health interventions to improve knowledge of mpox and other zoonoses identification and transmission, attitudes towards the risk of wildlife as reservoirs of mpox and other zoonoses. And finally, improvement of hygienic practices and usage of appropriate PPE along the bushmeat value chain.

    Keywords: Bushmeat trade, zoonotic diseases, mpox, Nigeria, knowledge attitudes practices (KAP)

    Received: 07 Jan 2025; Accepted: 21 Mar 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Muhinda, Adedeji, Zirra, Dahourou, Majekodunmi, Atuman, Olubade, Sabah and Emikpe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ayodele O Majekodunmi, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Abuja, Nigeria

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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