KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF POULTRY FARMERS TOWARDS BIOSECURITY AGAINST AVIAN INFLUENZA HS5N1 IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The reported outbreak of Avian Influenza (HSN!) in August and September 2015 prompted this cross- sectional survey to appraise the knowledge and attitude of poultry farmers regarding biosecurity against the disease. A structured questionnaire was administered to 112 poultry farmers randomly selected from two of the three senatorial zones in Kaduna State. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The socio-economic characteristics of the farmers revealed a mean age of 39.5 years predominance of male farmers and a reasonably high level of educational attainment. Majority of the respondents were small scale operators (56.39) and while the level of awareness of disease was found to be high (86.6%), only 48.2% had knowledge of the cause and nature of disease. Regression analysis showed that only educational status and flock size significantly influenced adoption of biosecurity measures (P<0.05). Constraints limiting adoption were identified and recommendations aimed at enhancing biosecurity were proffered