Reducing zoonotic avian influenza transmission at household poultry slaughter using a behaviour change tool for limited literacy audiences

• Published in: Zoonoses and public health Vol. 69; no. 8; pp. 956 - 965
• Main Authors: Clark, Andrew A., Eid, Samah, Hassan, Mohamed K., Carter, Kip, Swayne, David E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Animal health; Animals; Avian flu; avian influenza; behaviour change; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Female; Focus groups; Households; Humans; Infections; Influenza; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Influenza in Birds - epidemiology; Influenza in Birds - prevention & control; limited literacy; Literacy; Medical personnel; one health; Original; Pathogens; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - epidemiology; Procedures; safe poultry slaughter; Slaughter; Slaughtering; Viruses; Women; Zoonoses; zoonosis; behaviour change; limited literacy; safe poultry slaughter; avian influenza; one health; zoonosis
• ISSN: 1863-1959; 1863-2378
• DOI: 10.1111/zph.12993

Human infections in Egypt with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) likely due to airborne transmission of HPAI virus (HPAIV) during home slaughter of poultry predominately affect women and children, who are the primary caregivers of household poultry. This study developed a safe contained poultry slaughter procedure to reduce airborne HPAIV and zoonotic infections and simultaneously created an educational outreach tool for teaching the modified procedure. The tool designed for limited literacy audiences used two illustrated posters and handouts for teaching the safe contained poultry slaughter procedure. The posters were developed with advice of animal health professionals and then refined by target audience women's focus groups. These women's focus groups proved to be the critical step for assuring the understanding, acceptance, effectiveness and accuracy of the outreach tool. The safe contained poultry slaughter procedure was designed to be low or no cost, sustainable by using a universal implement found in village households and designed as a minor variation of standard poultry halal slaughter. It was crafted to be culturally appropriate and religiously acceptable.