Knowledge, attitude and practice related to Avian influenza among poultry workers of Kathmandu, Nepal

Background: Avian influenza is a threat to global health. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to avian influenza among poultry workers in Kathmandu, Nepal.Methods: This is a qualitative cross sectional study done among poultry workers and owners of poultry farms in Kathmandu valley from February 2019 to June 2019 with a face-to-face interview. Data was analysed in the Statistical package of the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.Results: Out of the 100 respondents, 70% were male. 5% were illiterate. 96% of them had knowledge that avian influenza is transferred from uncooked poultry, 57% of them had knowledge regarding symptoms of avian influenza. 57% of them also had knowledge regarding availability of vaccine against the disease with television and newspapers being major sources of information. Among them, 93% applied proper disposal practice regarding poultry wastes, 83% applied masks and boot covers for poultry rearing and 90% maintained hand hygiene before and after coming in contact with poultry.Conclusions: This study highlighted the knowledge among poultry workers about avian influenza, its symptoms and good practices for prevention of its transmission. Television and newspapers appeared to be the most effective means for imparting knowledge regarding avian influenza. Specific age groups should be targeted with appropriate interventions to improve the practices for better prevention of avian influenza.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards Avian Influenza Among Students of Two Public Universities of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Background and objectives: Avian influenza is a highly contagious disease that causes respiratory failure and has significant public health implications due to its zoonotic potential. Humans are frequently affected after coming into contact with infected birds, body fluid droplets such as those produced during defeathering operations, or other contaminated objects. This study aimed to appraise the students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) related to avian influenza in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Methods Among the students, 300 were interviewed to collect their knowledge about avian influenza and its zoonotic importance. The study population comprised students studying at two public universities having an age range of <20-50 years. Results Of the 300 respondents, 97.7% and 92.3 % were aware of the term avian influenza contagious infection and its pathogenicity related to zoonotic potential. Correlations show that the student's educational status was positively associated with knowledge of animal-to-animal transmission of avian influenza (p < 0.039). More than 80-90% of participants had knowledge that infected poultry and birds act as a potential source of avian influenza infection. More than 75% of the participants suspect poultry workers, butchers and veterinarians were at high risk of avian influenza infection. Fifty-seven percent of the students were not consulted to the doctor whenever they feel influenza-like symptoms. Washing of hands before and after eating a meal and covering of nose during coughing and sneezing were common. Our study results delineated the association of contagious infection of avian influenza transmission to poultry workers after contact with infected birds (p < 0.004). Conclusion Our study indicated that the knowledge, attitude, and practices of avian among the students were high, which might provide scientific support to the Indonesian government in developing strategies and public health campaigns among the general population to reduce the disease incidence.

Isolation of clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N8), a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, from a worker during an outbreak on a poultry farm, Russia, December 2020

This study presents the isolation of influenza A(H5N8) virus clade 2.3.4.4b from a poultry worker during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) among chickens at a poultry farm in Astrakhan, Russia in December 2020. Nasopharyngeal swabs collected from seven poultry workers were positive for influenza A(H5N8), as confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing. The influenza A(H5N8) virus was isolated from one of the human specimens and characterised. Sporadic human influenza A(H5)2.3.4.4. infections represent a possible concern for public health.

The working conditions and analysis of occupational hazards in workers of poultry industry

It is noted that there are many serious risks to the safety and health of workers at poultry farms in Ukraine. These hazards include exposure to high levels of noise, dust, hazardous equipment, slippery floors, musculoskeletal disorders, hazardous chemicals and biological hazards. Studies show that prolonged exposure to high noise levels leads to noise hearing loss in workers of all ages. When performing work on catching, transplanting, transporting poultry, taking blood for chemical and serological tests, the noise level in the poultry house reaches 8690 dB. It is noted that during the repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment there is a risk of injury due to heat, electric shock, burns, cuts, tears, amputation or fractures of body parts. Poultry workers are the most vulnerable occupational group in terms of the risk of developing respiratory diseases. It has been established that 8-hour inhalation of dust in a concentration exceeding 4 mg/m3 is especially dangerous. The highest level of respiratory diseases was in 45-55-year-old workers. It is noted that poultry workers are exposed to ergonomic risks, which can cause injuries to the musculoskeletal system. The researchers found that 81% of poultry processing jobs have an increased level of repetitive hand movements and exertion. Workers complained of pain, numbness, burning, tingling in the hands or wrists. It is noted that new technologies will be able to reduce some types of ergonomic injuries. A significant danger for poultry workers is the risk of catching avian influenza. It is noted that workers have the right to healthy and safe working conditions, the development of special programs to protect them from industrial hazards. To protect workers, it is necessary to implement engineering and control measures and provide appropriate personal protective equipment.

Genetic relatedness of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from humans, chickens and poultry environments

Background Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population does occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (E. coli) among poultry-workers. Here we determined the prevalence and genetic relatedness among MDR E. coli isolated from poultry-workers, chickens, and poultry environments in Abuja, Nigeria. This study was conducted to address the gaps identified by the Nigerian AMR situation analysis. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among poultry-workers, chickens, and poultry farm/live bird market (LBM) environments. The isolates were tested phenotypically for their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, genotypically characterized using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and in silico multilocus sequence types (MLST). We conducted a phylogenetic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) analysis to determine relatedness and clonality among the isolates. Results A total of 115 (26.8%) out of 429 samples were positive for E. coli. Of these, 110 isolates were viable for phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The selection comprised 47 (42.7%) isolates from poultry-workers, 36 (32.7%) from chickens, and 27 (24.5%) from poultry-farm or LBM environments. Overall, 101 (91.8%) of the isolates were MDR conferring resistance to at least three drug classes. High frequency of resistance was observed for tetracycline (n = 102; 92.7%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (n = 93; 84.5%), streptomycin (n = 87; 79.1%) and ampicillin (n = 88; 80%). Two plasmid-mediated colistin genes—mcr-1.1 harboured on IncX4 plasmids were detected in environmental isolates. The most prevalent sequence types (ST) were ST-155 (n = 8), ST-48 (n = 8) and ST-10 (n = 6). Two isolates of human and environmental sources with a SNPs difference of 6161 originating from the same farm shared a novel ST. The isolates had similar AMR genes and plasmid replicons. Conclusion MDR E.coli isolates were prevalent amongst poultry-workers, poultry, and the poultry farm/LBM environment. The emergence of MDR E. coli with novel ST in two isolates may be plasmid-mediated. Competent authorities should enforce AMR regulations to ensure prudent use of antimicrobials to limit the risk of transmission along the food chain.

Genetic relatedness of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from humans, chickens and poultry environments

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in animal production has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens. Transmission of AMR foodborne pathogens from reservoirs, particularly chickens to the human population does occur. Recently, we reported that occupational exposure was a risk factor for multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (E. coli) among poultry-workers. Here we determined the prevalence and genetic relatedness among MDR E. coli isolated from poultry-workers, chickens, and poultry environments in Abuja, Nigeria. This study was conducted to address the gaps identified by the Nigerian AMR situation analysis.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among poultry-workers, chickens, and poultry farm/live bird market (LBM) environments. The isolates were tested phenotypically for their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, genotypically characterized using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and in silico multilocus sequence types (MLST). We conducted a phylogenetic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) analysis to determine relatedness and clonality among the isolates. Results: A total of 115 (26.8%) out of 429 samples were positive for E. coli. Of these, 110 isolates were viable for phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The selection comprised 47 (42.7%) isolates from poultry-workers, 36 (32.7%) from chickens, and 27 (24.5%) from poultry-farm or LBM environments. Overall, 101 (91.8%) of the isolates were MDR conferring resistance to at least three drug classes. High frequency of resistance was observed for tetracycline (n = 102; 92.7%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (n = 93; 84.5%), streptomycin (n = 87; 79.1%) and ampicillin (n = 88; 80%). Two plasmid-mediated colistin genes – mcr-1.1 harboured on IncX4 plasmids were detected in environmental isolates. The most prevalent sequence types (ST) were ST-155 (n = 8), ST-48 (n = 8) and ST-10 (n = 6). Two isolates of human and environmental sources with a SNPs difference of 6161 originating from the same farm shared a novel ST. The isolates had similar AMR genes and plasmid replicons. Conclusion: MDR E.coli isolates were prevalent amongst poultry-workers, poultry, and the poultry farm/LBM environment. The emergence of MDR E. coli with novel ST in two isolates may be plasmid-mediated. Competent authorities should enforce AMR regulations to ensure prudent use of antimicrobials to limit the risk of transmission along the food chain.

Chicken Doctors and the Trials of Transcendence

This autoethnographic, multidisciplinary illness narrative describes the working conditions of a crew of Latina/o chicken workers (gallineras/os) in North Carolina and explores how these laborers respond to and make meaning of their brutal and dehumanizing work. Transporting us back to a pre-pandemic era, this project seeks to demonstrate how systemic conditions, exacerbating health disparities among poultry workers during COVID-19, are, in fact, endemic and will persist after a post-pandemic US society. Engaging with medical anthropological scholarship that investigates the intersections between Latina/o labor, legislation, and health, this project employs structural violence and structural vulnerability frameworks to investigate the network of structures that contribute to poor health outcomes among Latina/o immigrant workers. “Chicken Doctors” explores how disabling working conditions and their attending legislative and occupational policies debilitate Latina/o immigrant workers, and it argues that gallinera/o labor must be understood as a form of illness, as their toil leaves them with daily pains and lasting impairments. The project draws from an interview with the author’s father, who worked as a gallinera/o laborer and manager for over two decades, as well as from the author’s own observations and journal entries written during his work as a gallinera/o. The piece details the incapacitating gallinera/o labor required to move and vaccinate chickens, describes the toxic working environments, and reflects upon the collective strategies for transcendence that gallineras/os employ to survive their conditions. While this project unveils the spirited resilience of gallineras/os, who make up an essential link in the poultry industry chain but are less conspicuous than their meatpacking counterparts, it especially seeks to expose the network of injustices surrounding their labor.