Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 1, No. 2, 2018
Pages 66-70
Pastoralist Community Knowledge and Factors Associated with Occurrence of Tuberculosis In Jigawa State, Nigeria.
Ibrahim, S.1” Usman, B. A.1’ Danbirni, S.1‘ Kaltungo, Y. B.2
1Department of Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
2Veterinary Teaching Hospital Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
ABSTRACT
Pastoralists live in remote areas of the state, where access to education, health and other social services are at their lowest level. Lack of knowledge about Tb despite their being closely associated with cattle (reservoir for M.bovis) could affect the health-seeking behavior of most of them and sustain transmission of the disease within the community. Four hundred and thirty five individuals who were pastoralists cattle holders were subjected to a community-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey within the three (3) emirate councils of the state (which include Hadejia, Gumel and Dutse emirates). In this study, we assessed the knowledge of individuals about tuberculosis in pastoral communities of Jigawa state. The majority, 62.76% of those interviewed reported that they have heard of about Tb (known locally as “tarin fuka”), also the interviewees associated cause of Tb with exposure to cold air (Harmattan) (50%), malnutrition (45%) and smoking (20%). Social practices such as smoking (30.5%) were identified as risk factors favoring the transmission of the disease. Lack of knowledge especially the critical signs of TB in both cattle and humans could affect the health seeking behavior (46.23%) of most of them and can sustain transmission of the disease within the community. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with the occurrence and pastoral community knowledge of tuberculosis within the study area.
Keywords: Tuberculosis, Pastoralists, M bovis, community