Abstract Background Despite their importance to society, dogs are susceptible to various helminths. This study aimed to understand perceptions, attitudes and practices (PAP) regarding canine zoonotic helminthiases (CZH) among dog owners in Rwanda. Methods A cross‐sectional study was carried out in Nyagatare district of Rwanda, where 203 dog owners were randomly selected and interviewed. To analyse this study's data, we used frequency distributions, chi‐square test of association and binary logistic regression model. Results Overall, 75.9% and 30% of the respondents were aware of canine and human helminthiases, respectively. Around 74.4% knew that dogs source helminthiases from eating raw infected meat. Also, 74.4% knew vomiting, diarrhoea and swelling of the belly as clinical signs of the helminthiases. Around 58.6% washed hands with soap and water after handling a dog. Only 17.2% and 15.5% dewormed the dogs and treated them against ectoparasites using conventional anthelmintics and acaricides manufactured for dogs, respectively. Of all respondents, 33% held genuine perceptions, while 78.3% and 25.1% adopted positive attitudes and appropriate practices about CZH, respectively. The respondents’ educational level and length of dog ownership correlated with their perceptions and practices about CZH, respectively, while sources of information on CZH influenced their PAP of such infections. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of having genuine perceptions and positive attitudes were more than 82% lower among those who sourced the information from neighbours & colleagues compared to those who gathered it through reading. Again, the length of dog ownership (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.90) correlated with the respondent's practices about CZH. Conclusions Only 33% and 25.1% of the respondents held genuine perceptions and adopted positive attitudes regarding CZH, respectively. The findings indicate increased zoonotic helminths in dogs, possible spillover in humans and anthelmintic resistance. Therefore, awareness campaigns are needed to upgrade dog owners’ knowledge of the zoonotic helminthiases in dogs in Nyagatare district.

Perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding canine zoonotic helminthiases among dog owners in Nyagatare district, Rwanda

The status of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Rwanda is unknown, despite its prevalence in neighboring countries. A cross-sectional sampling of goats and sheep was carried out in five districts of Rwanda located closer to neighboring countries endemic to PPR. Serum samples were analyzed using a commercial ELISA, to detect antibodies to PPR virus (PPRV). Sixty-eight samples [14.8, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 11.7-18.4] were seropositive for PPR, of which 17.4% (95% CI: 11.6-24.6; 25/144) were from sheep, whereas 13.6% (95% CI: 10.0-17.9; 43/316) were from goats. Seropositivity ranged from 8.9 to 17.3% (goats) and from 10.5 to 25.8% (sheep) in sampled districts. Seropositivity was slightly higher in males than females in both goats (15.7 vs. 12.4%) and sheep (17.7 vs. 17.1%), and were significantly marked in goats and sheep aged more than 15 months (goats: 17.9, 95% CI: 12.9-24.0; sheep: 22.2, 95% CI: 14.1-32.2) than those between 6 and 15 months (goats: 6.1, 95% CI: 2.5-12.1; sheep: 9.3, 95% CI: 3.1-20.3). Sampling was non-randomized and results are not representative of the true prevalence of PPR antibody in small ruminants. Thus, data does not allow to fully discuss the findings beyond the presence/absence certitude and the comparisons made must be interpreted with caution. The presence of specific antibodies to PPRV may, however, be linked to one or a combination of following scenarios: (1) prevalence and persistence of PPRV in sampled regions which would cause low level of clinical cases and/or mortalities that go unnoticed; (2) introduction of PPRV to herds through movements of livestock from neighboring infected countries, and/or (3) events of disease outbreaks that are underreported by farmers and veterinarians. In addition to strengthen veterinary surveillance mechanisms, further studies using robust sampling methods and integrating livestock and wildlife, should be carried out to fully elucidate PPR epidemiology in Rwanda.

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Kang Kroesna

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Animal health in a development context