Brucellosis in Timor-Leste: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among cattle farmers and animal health workers

Brucellosis affects both animals and humans. Our study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among cattle farmers and animal health workers in Timor-Leste regarding brucellosis as a cattle and zoonotic disease.

In 2023, we conducted a census of cattle-farming households across 5 aldeias (hamlets) in Timor-Leste. Animal health workers were also surveyed. The survey contained questions on demographics and KAP regarding brucellosis. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed.

We surveyed 253 cattle farmers and 22 animal health workers. Animal health workers were more likely to have heard of brucellosis than cattle farmers. Almost all cattle farmers were willing to wear gloves while handling birth material to reduce zoonotic exposure (95.3 %; 241/253) and support brucellosis cattle vaccination (95.7 %; 181/189), but fewer were willing to slaughter infected cattle (53.4 %; 101/189). Practices that could result in zoonotic transmission to farmers included slaughtering cattle (20.2 %, 51/253), handling aborted material (17.4 %; 44/253), consuming aborted material (5.5 %, 14/253), and drinking raw buffalo milk (6.3 %; 16/253). Household cattle management practices that could facilitate cattle-to-cattle transmission included communal grazing (92.6 %; 175/189), leaving cattle placenta in the field (88.0 %; 161/183), and leaving cattle aborted materials in the field (42.2 %; 27/64).

The study adds to One Health research in Timor-Leste and improves understanding of community perspectives and practices that may increase the risk of brucellosis transmission. The results are important for informing the co-design of practical and locally adapted strategies with local communities to reduce the transmission of brucellosis in cattle and to humans.