Jallailudeen Rabana LAWAL¹*, Umar Isa IBRAHIM¹, Abdullahi Abubakar BIU² and Hassan Ismail MUSA³

¹Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
²Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
³Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Jallailudeen Rabana LAWAL, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

Received: September 01, 2023; Published: September 28, 2023

Abstract

Haemosporidian infections, caused by blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon, pose significant threats to the health and productivity of poultry populations worldwide. The level of awareness and knowledge among poultry farmers regarding these infections is crucial for effective disease management and prevention. This study aims to assess the awareness and knowledge levels among poultry farmers in Gombe State, shedding light on potential gaps and providing valuable insights for developing effective control strategies. The study employed a cross-sectional design and utilized structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of poultry farmers in eight Local Government Areas of Gombe State, Nigeria. The findings revealed that majority of poultry farmers were male and are within 30-50 years age group. Most village poultry farmers had a low level of formal education, though some had secondary and tertiary education. The farmers primarily raised village chickens, allowing them to scavenge for food, often in unhygienic areas, and interact with other semi-domestic birds, potentially leading to cross transmission of haemoparasites. The study revealed that many farmers were unaware of avian haemosporidian infections, and a significant number did not provide extra feed supplementation or had never treated their chickens for blood parasites. They relied on fellow farmers and veterinarians for information, with limited access to government agricultural agencies or online sources. The research emphasizes the need for improved knowledge dissemination and extension services. Enhancing disease management practices, biosecurity measures, and vaccination in poultry farming is vital. The study concludes that providing training and support to farmers in disease prevention and control strategies is crucial to improve poultry health outcomes and livelihoods in the study area. Addressing these knowledge gaps can contribute to enhancing poultry production and food security in Gombe State, Nigeria.

Keywords: Awareness; Knowledge; Poultry Farmers; Haemosporidian Infections; Questionnaire Survey; Gombe State

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Citation

Citation: Jallailudeen Rabana LAWAL., et al. “Awareness and Knowledge of Haemosporidian Infections among Village Poultry Farmers in Gombe State, Nigeria".Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences 5.10 (2023): 67-80.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Jallailudeen Rabana LAWAL., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.