Knowledge, attitudes and practices of indigenous chicken value chain actors in relation to infectious bursal disease transmission in Kenya

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating viral disease of chicken that has been linked to relatively higher mortalities in indigenous chicken compared to in exotic ones. Since it is not clear what indigenous chicken value chain actors know on IBD transmission, a cross sectional study using structured questionnaire was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices among 132 indigenous chicken value chain actors (farmers, traders, slaughter-personnel and animal health providers) with respect to IBD transmission. The collected data were analysed using R statistical software version 3.3.1. The main value chain actors knowledge, attitude and practices that promoted transmission of IBD among indigenous chicken were found to include: sourcing birds from other farmers and traders with no vaccination or disease history (100% farmers and 61.5% traders), no disinfection between farms (89.7% traders; 57.1% animal health providers); low use of vaccines against IBD (8.5% farmers); feeding dogs on sick and dead birds (farmer 25.3%; traders 35.9%; slaughter personnel 12.8%); direct mixing of new and unsold birds from the market with home flocks (55.3% farmers) and mixed rearing of different species of birds together by farmers (38.3%). There was a significant association (pÂ0.05) between traders sourcing of chickens from local farmers (p= 0.0107), feeding sick and dead birds to dogs by farmers (OR=2.75), low IBD vaccine use by farmers (OR=3.07) and transmission of IBD. Identification of factors promoting IBD transmission will contribute towards designing of a policy document on how the disease should be managed and controlled both at local and national level. Control of IBD will increase productivity of indigenous chicken; subsequently help in poverty alleviation and ensure food and nutrition security for the majority of the people living in rural areas who rear these birds as integral part of family livelihood. Key words: Disease transmission, indigenous chicken, Infectious bursal disease, Kenya