Awareness and perceptions of poultry keepers about the prevalence of Fowl typhoid in chickens kept in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Abstract

Chicken production in Tanzania provides opportunity to local communities in terms of employment, increased income, food security, and manure for cropping. However, diseases like fowl typhoid remain a challenge to livestock keepers. This study was aimed at understanding the attitude and awareness of Poultry keepers about the prevalence of fowl typhoid in chickens kept in Dodoma. A cross-sectional survey using semi-structured interviews was employed to understand farmers' perception of the prevalence of fowl typhoid and associated risk factors amongst poultry farmers in three wards in Dodoma, namely, Nkuhungu, Msalato, and Mnadani. The overall prevalence of fowl typhoid among farmers was 22.30%, with significant differences being noticed in the first quarter (January-March) and the third quarter (July-September) (P < 0.05). Factors such as age and sex, flock size, and management practices influence the prevalence of fowl typhoid significantly (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the farmers had challenges accessing the veterinary services due to their unawareness, the availability of the service, and their distance from the service. The control strategies for fowl typhoid should consider the influencing factors while improving the accessibility and availability of veterinary services to farmers.