Abstract
Introduction: Brucellosis is a zoonotic bacterial infection, caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected livestock, or close contact with their secretions. Knowledge and awareness regarding brucellosis is essential for the implementation of control measures and consequently prevention of brucellosis. The study was designed to estimate knowledge and awareness regarding this disease among the high risk population.
Objectives: The study aims to identify the level of knowledge regarding brucellosis, to assess the attitudes of targeted population towards brucellosis and to determine misconceptions and malpractice associated with brucellosis in the Riyadh province of Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess knowledge, attitudes practices, and misconceptions of the population towards Brucellosis in the Riyadh region. The data was collected by well-defined pretested questionnaire; SPSS was used for data analysis.
Results: The sample size calculated was 138. Participants demonstrated good knowledge regarding brucellosis and were near equal in their understanding of the causative agent (Brucella species) and its means of transmission from animals to humans. The majority (86.2%) of the participants would take actions to ensure the animal is healthy when they buy a new animal, and demonstrated good practices while handling the domesticated animals and their secretions.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated good knowledge, attitude, and practice towards brucellosis among the population of the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia.