Abortive Zoonoses in Benin: Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions Gap Among Front-Line Small-Ruminant Production...

Abortive zoonoses represent a major public-health threat and a significant constraint on small-ruminant production in West Africa, particularly in Benin. Yet they remain largely undocumented from the perspective of frontline actors. This cross-sectional study assessed the levels of knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) of Beninese farmers, butchers, meat inspectors, and para-veterinary staff. A structured questionnaire containing 28 items (11 knowledge, 9 attitudes, 8 perception) was administered to four professional groups (small ruminant keeper, para-veterinarian, butcher and meat inspectors) from four communes in the South, Central, and North of Benin. The number of correct and desirable responses was evaluated on a 0-100% scale. Overall, respondents demonstrated limited knowledge (50.4 ± 25.2%), highly undesirable attitudes (71.0 ± 23.2%) (higher attitude score means risky practices), and likely desirable (65.0 ± 24.4%) toward abortive zoonoses. Mixed-effect linear regression revealed that knowledge was generally higher among trained professionals such as meat inspectors and para-veterinarians. On the other hand, farmers and butchers showed larger informational gaps and more frequent risky practices. Respondents with previous experience of livestock abortion tended to be more aware of zoonotic risks but did not consistently translate this awareness into safer behavior. Correlations between knowledge and perception were weak and non-significant (r = 0.14; p = 0.135). Psychometric analysis revealed that the Knowledge scale was robust and effectively discriminated between respondents, while the Attitude scale showed poor validity, likely due to social desirability bias. Most participants perceived abortive diseases as a serious threat, yet this awareness did not translate into safer practices. The findings highlight substantial cognitive gaps, persistent risky practices and an incomplete perception of danger among value-chain actors. They underscore the need for targeted, behavior-change interventions in Benin, prioritizing practical training for farmers and butchers and the scaling-up of flock vaccination within a strengthened One Health framework.