Risk Factors Assessment of Zoonotic Anthrax among the People at Risk (PAR) in Selected Areas of Bangladesh

Aim: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the risk factors among the people at risk in selected areas of Bangladesh, considering awareness, attitudes and management practices towards anthrax.

Methodology: Administrative areas of Bangladesh had been classified into high-, medium-, and low-risk anthrax areas by assessing the risk of anthrax based on the reports published in daily newspapers and scientific journals. The selected high-, medium- and low-risk areas were Kushtia, Pabna and Mymensingh districts. The animal owners and family members, butchers, and the affected people by cutaneous anthrax were considered as the key informants. Data on management practices including feeding, awareness to zoonosis, vaccination and institutional education were collected using interview-questionnaire method. A total of 622 data were collected and uploaded to the data collection tools “Magpi”, and the data were analyzed using Epi Info™.

Results: In the study areas, about half of the people had no institutional formal education (46.46%; n=289/622). The farmers at high-risk districts were significantly (p=0.000) aware to anthrax as compared to those from medium- and low-risk districts. The level of knowledge about zoonosis of anthrax and vaccination of anthrax were poor among the people from both medium- and low-risk areas. For treatment of animals, most of the farmers (about 98%) at high- and low-risk areas depended on village doctors. In our study, improper washing of grass and occurrence of flood in the study areas were significantly (p=0.000) correlated with anthrax outbreak.

Conclusion: Increasing awareness towards zoonosis of anthrax, proper vaccination, treatment of diseased animal by registered veterinarians, and washing of grasses before serving to animals may help to reduce the anthrax outbreak in Bangladesh.