Occupational brucellosis among livestock farmers in Northeastern Thailand: A cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices from a One Health perspective
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 3Buriram Provincial Livestock Office, Buriram, Thailand
- 4Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Abstract
Brucellosis remains a significant occupational zoonotic disease among livestock farmers, with substantial implications for animal health, worker safety, and public health in endemic regions. Effective control at the livestock-human interface depends on understanding farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding disease prevention. This study aimed to assess determinants of occupational brucellosis prevention behaviors among ruminant farmers in Northeastern Thailand through comprehensive KAP analysis to inform targeted One Health strategies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2024 to July 2025 across three provinces (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, and Surin) in lower Northeastern Thailand. Structured questionnaires were administered to 385 livestock farmers managing ruminants (beef cattle, dairy cattle, buffalo, goats, or sheep). Knowledge, attitude, and practice domains were scored and analyzed using logistic regression to identify behavioral determinants. Although 65.5% of farmers demonstrated satisfactory knowledge, only 20.0% reported comprehensive favorable preventive practices across personal and farm-level measures. Notably, farmers exhibited selective engagement with prevention: while all avoided raw milk and placental product consumption, only 38.7% used gloves during high-risk activities compared to 61.6% wearing boots. Multivariate analysis identified farm certification, including Good Farm Management as shown by adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 2.60 (95% CI: 1.06-6.39), and brucellosis-free certification as shown by aOR 5.35 (95% CI: 1.63–17.54). Awareness of having heard regarding the scientific term “brucellosis” was associated with favorable practices (aOR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.00–7.46). In conclusion, knowledge alone was insufficient to drive consistent preventive behaviors, instead, farm certification, targeted education on transmission routes, and perceived occupational susceptibility emerged as key drivers of practice adoption. Our findings highlight the necessity for integrated interventions combining domain-specific training, formal disease alerts, and structural supports such as certification programs to enhance occupational safety and brucellosis control aligned with One Health principles in Thailand. Author summary: In Northeastern Thailand, we conducted a field-based knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey among ruminant (cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep) farmers. Our results showed that farms with official certifications, such as Good Farm Management (GFM), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), or brucellosis‑free farm status, were more likely to report good protective behaviors against brucellosis. We also found that what people know matters in a very specific way: understanding how brucellosis is transmitted was more strongly linked to protective behavior than simply having heard of the disease. At the same time, farmers did not use all protective equipment equally. They commonly wore boots during risky activities like assisting with birth, but were much less likely to wear gloves, which are crucial for preventing infection when handling birth materials. In this setting, farmers rarely drink raw milk, so the main risk of brucellosis comes from direct contact with infected animals and their secretions during everyday farm work, shifting the focus of prevention from food safety to occupational biosafety during high-risk animal contact.
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BibTeX
@article{kiatsomphob2026occupational,
title = {{Occupational brucellosis among livestock farmers in Northeastern Thailand: A cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices from a One Health perspective}},
author = {Savek Kiatsomphob and Karunasinee Suphaphiphat and Bopit Puyati and Kan Kledmanee},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014788},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014788},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Occupational brucellosis among livestock farmers in Northeastern Thailand: A cross-sectional study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices from a One Health perspective
AU - Savek Kiatsomphob
AU - Karunasinee Suphaphiphat
AU - Bopit Puyati
AU - Kan Kledmanee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014788
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014788
AB - Brucellosis remains a significant occupational zoonotic disease among livestock farmers, with substantial implications for animal health, worker safety, and public health in endemic regions. Effective control at the livestock-human interface depends on understanding farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding disease prevention. This study aimed to assess determinants of occupational brucellosis prevention behaviors among ruminant farmers in Northeastern Thailand through comprehensive KAP analysis to inform targeted One Health strategies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2024 to July 2025 across three provinces (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, and Surin) in lower Northeastern Thailand. Structured questionnaires were administered to 385 livestock farmers managing ruminants (beef cattle, dairy cattle, buffalo, goats, or sheep). Knowledge, attitude, and practice domains were scored and analyzed using logistic regression to identify behavioral determinants. Although 65.5% of farmers demonstrated satisfactory knowledge, only 20.0% reported comprehensive favorable preventive practices across personal and farm-level measures. Notably, farmers exhibited selective engagement with prevention: while all avoided raw milk and placental product consumption, only 38.7% used gloves during high-risk activities compared to 61.6% wearing boots. Multivariate analysis identified farm certification, including Good Farm Management as shown by adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 2.60 (95% CI: 1.06-6.39), and brucellosis-free certification as shown by aOR 5.35 (95% CI: 1.63–17.54). Awareness of having heard regarding the scientific term “brucellosis” was associated with favorable practices (aOR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.00–7.46). In conclusion, knowledge alone was insufficient to drive consistent preventive behaviors, instead, farm certification, targeted education on transmission routes, and perceived occupational susceptibility emerged as key drivers of practice adoption. Our findings highlight the necessity for integrated interventions combining domain-specific training, formal disease alerts, and structural supports such as certification programs to enhance occupational safety and brucellosis control aligned with One Health principles in Thailand. Author summary: In Northeastern Thailand, we conducted a field-based knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey among ruminant (cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep) farmers. Our results showed that farms with official certifications, such as Good Farm Management (GFM), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), or brucellosis‑free farm status, were more likely to report good protective behaviors against brucellosis. We also found that what people know matters in a very specific way: understanding how brucellosis is transmitted was more strongly linked to protective behavior than simply having heard of the disease. At the same time, farmers did not use all protective equipment equally. They commonly wore boots during risky activities like assisting with birth, but were much less likely to wear gloves, which are crucial for preventing infection when handling birth materials. In this setting, farmers rarely drink raw milk, so the main risk of brucellosis comes from direct contact with infected animals and their secretions during everyday farm work, shifting the focus of prevention from food safety to occupational biosafety during high-risk animal contact.
SN - 1935-2735
SN - 1935-2727
ER -