Farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding lumpy skin disease in Northern Bangladesh

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), caused by the Capripoxvirus, is an emerging vector-borne viral disease that poses a significant global threat to cattle and buffalo. This transboundary disease is causing substantial economic losses and threatening the livelihoods of farmers in developing countries, such as Bangladesh.

The present study aimed to evaluate livestock farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding LSD and identify the risk factors influencing their KAP outcomes.

This cross-sectional study involving 444 randomly selected livestock farmers was conducted in the North Bengal region of Bangladesh from July to October 2025.

A total of 358 male and 86 female farmers participated in this study. The majority (34.7%) were aged 41-50 years, and about one-fourth (26.1%) were illiterate. The survey showed a low level of training among farmers, with only 6.1% trained in general farming, 1.8% trained in transboundary animal diseases, and 2.3% trained in biosecurity. The findings revealed that over half of the farmers demonstrated poor knowledge (53.2%), a negative attitude (53.4%), and poor practices (52.3%) regarding LSD. Logistic regression analysis found that age, sex, residence area, education, farming experience, and training in farming and biosecurity significantly influenced KAP levels. The correlation analysis showed significant positive associations between farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

This study underscores the need for targeted farmer education, improved biosecurity measures, and strategic policy interventions to enhance KAP levels and strengthen LSD control. These findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers and farmers in implementing effective LSD prevention and control strategies, minimizing economic losses, and promoting sustainable livestock farming.