Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards anthrax among Communities in the Southern and South-western Ethiopia
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Microbiology laboratory, Animal Health Institute, Sebeta, Ethiopia
- 2College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
- 3Anthrax Reference Institute of Italy, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
- 4Aklilu lemma Institute of Health Research, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- 5Ohio State Global One Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
Background: Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis is an endemic zoonotic disease in Ethiopia, primarily affecting domestic and wild ruminants and often resulting in severe and potentially fatal infection in humans. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to November 2025 to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to anthrax among communities in 10 districts of the southern and southwestern part of Ethiopia. A total of 382 household heads aged 18 years and above were interviewed using structured questionnaires with open and closed-ended questions. Descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to report frequenciesy, percentages and mean scores to quantify and assess associations of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the communities toward anthrax. Results: Respondents had a mean age of 39.8 ± 12.7 years, with males comprising 92.7% of participants, and 28.3% had no formal education, while the majority were farmers (79.8%). Among the 382 participants, 60.2% had adequate knowledge. 93.7% had heard about anthrax, primarily from veterinary professionals. Two hundred twenty-seven (59.4%) of respondents were aware of the modes of transmission, 58.9% and 77.0% understood prevention measures in humans and animals, respectively. Two hundred fourteen (56.2%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards anthrax, and 91.6% perceived anthrax as a serious disease affecting both humans and animals. A total of 187 (49.0%) of the respondents had good practices toward anthrax prevention, and vaccination practices were commonly reported, with 81.4% of them believing that vaccinating animals is important to protect human health and 98.2% to protect livestock. Among the respondents, 42.2% reported that they manage carcasses of animals suspected of sudden death by burying and burning, 36.7% reported to local veterinary authorities, 10.7% shared and ate the meat with the community and their family, and 3.6% disposed of the carcasses into the environment. Overall, the mean scores (5.9 ± 2.6 out of 10, 5.4 ± 1.2 out of 6, and 2.34 ± 1.3 out of 5) were recorded for knowledge, attitude, and practices, respectively. Participants’ knowledge mean score about anthrax was significantly associated with gender (male), level of education (degree), and occupation (government employed) (p < 0.001). There was also a positive significant correlation between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.690, p < 0.001), knowledge-practice (r = 0.417, p < 0.001), and attitude-practice (r = 0.378, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings from the current study provided essential insights into community awareness and preventive practices, which are critical for strengthening anthrax control and prevention strategies. Author summary: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that causes illness in humans, animals, and domestic livestock, and it is endemic in Ethiopia. Livestock handling practices, including contact with sick animals, slaughtering animals, and disposing of dead animals, are major risk factors for human anthrax infection. Due to a lack of knowledge about the risks associated with improper removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and socio-economic conditions contribute to underreporting and underdiagnosis of anthrax in Ethiopia. In this study, the majority of the respondents had heard about anthrax, had adequate knowledge, and held a positive attitude toward anthrax prevention within their communities. More than half of the respondents practiced good prevention measures, such as vaccinating and managing carcasses of animals suspected of dying from anthrax by burying and burning them. However, a few respondents exhibited poor practices by disposing of carcasses in the environment and sharing or consuming infected meat with their community and family. The aim of this study is to identify gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about anthrax among livestock handlers in the southern and southwestern regions of Ethiopia.
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BibTeX
@article{olani2026knowledge,
title = {{Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards anthrax among Communities in the Southern and South-western Ethiopia}},
author = {Abebe Olani and Domenico Galante and Matios Lakew and Tigist Ashagre and Taferi Benti and Gizat Almaw and Fasil Aklilu and Getnet Abie Mekonnen and Tesfaye Rufael and Nigatu Kebede and Aklilu Feleke Haile and Tadesse Eguale},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014848},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014848},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards anthrax among Communities in the Southern and South-western Ethiopia
AU - Abebe Olani
AU - Domenico Galante
AU - Matios Lakew
AU - Tigist Ashagre
AU - Taferi Benti
AU - Gizat Almaw
AU - Fasil Aklilu
AU - Getnet Abie Mekonnen
AU - Tesfaye Rufael
AU - Nigatu Kebede
AU - Aklilu Feleke Haile
AU - Tadesse Eguale
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014848
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014848
AB - Background: Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis is an endemic zoonotic disease in Ethiopia, primarily affecting domestic and wild ruminants and often resulting in severe and potentially fatal infection in humans. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to November 2025 to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to anthrax among communities in 10 districts of the southern and southwestern part of Ethiopia. A total of 382 household heads aged 18 years and above were interviewed using structured questionnaires with open and closed-ended questions. Descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to report frequenciesy, percentages and mean scores to quantify and assess associations of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the communities toward anthrax. Results: Respondents had a mean age of 39.8 ± 12.7 years, with males comprising 92.7% of participants, and 28.3% had no formal education, while the majority were farmers (79.8%). Among the 382 participants, 60.2% had adequate knowledge. 93.7% had heard about anthrax, primarily from veterinary professionals. Two hundred twenty-seven (59.4%) of respondents were aware of the modes of transmission, 58.9% and 77.0% understood prevention measures in humans and animals, respectively. Two hundred fourteen (56.2%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards anthrax, and 91.6% perceived anthrax as a serious disease affecting both humans and animals. A total of 187 (49.0%) of the respondents had good practices toward anthrax prevention, and vaccination practices were commonly reported, with 81.4% of them believing that vaccinating animals is important to protect human health and 98.2% to protect livestock. Among the respondents, 42.2% reported that they manage carcasses of animals suspected of sudden death by burying and burning, 36.7% reported to local veterinary authorities, 10.7% shared and ate the meat with the community and their family, and 3.6% disposed of the carcasses into the environment. Overall, the mean scores (5.9 ± 2.6 out of 10, 5.4 ± 1.2 out of 6, and 2.34 ± 1.3 out of 5) were recorded for knowledge, attitude, and practices, respectively. Participants’ knowledge mean score about anthrax was significantly associated with gender (male), level of education (degree), and occupation (government employed) (p < 0.001). There was also a positive significant correlation between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.690, p < 0.001), knowledge-practice (r = 0.417, p < 0.001), and attitude-practice (r = 0.378, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings from the current study provided essential insights into community awareness and preventive practices, which are critical for strengthening anthrax control and prevention strategies. Author summary: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that causes illness in humans, animals, and domestic livestock, and it is endemic in Ethiopia. Livestock handling practices, including contact with sick animals, slaughtering animals, and disposing of dead animals, are major risk factors for human anthrax infection. Due to a lack of knowledge about the risks associated with improper removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and socio-economic conditions contribute to underreporting and underdiagnosis of anthrax in Ethiopia. In this study, the majority of the respondents had heard about anthrax, had adequate knowledge, and held a positive attitude toward anthrax prevention within their communities. More than half of the respondents practiced good prevention measures, such as vaccinating and managing carcasses of animals suspected of dying from anthrax by burying and burning them. However, a few respondents exhibited poor practices by disposing of carcasses in the environment and sharing or consuming infected meat with their community and family. The aim of this study is to identify gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about anthrax among livestock handlers in the southern and southwestern regions of Ethiopia.
SN - 1935-2735
ER -