Hygiene hands in livestock care: Evaluating the effect of interventions on hand hygiene practices among goat and sheep handlers

Goat and sheep farming is an important source of livelihood in India, and animal farms are the most common setup for animal-human interactions, which could contribute to zoonosis. However, in the absence of reports on the effect of intervention on hand hygiene practices among this set of animal handlers, this work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on hand hygiene practices among goat and sheep handlers. A total of ۲۰ goat and sheep farms located in the peri-urban area of Bangalore, India, were included in the study. A convenient sampling method was employed inviting farm workers present on day one of the study at that farm to participate voluntarily. Data were collected by pre- and post-intervention observation on hand hygiene practices among goat and sheep handlers. The intervention was delivered through manual demonstration and posters. The obtained data were assessed by the McNemar test. Pre-intervention data for safety parameters showed that employees consistently performed hand washing before having food and after handling animal waste. The intervention led to significant improvement in handwashing technique, safety practices, and other parameters (P < ۰.۰۰۱). This work advocates the availability of guidelines for hand hygiene practices among animal handlers as a part of a One Health approach to reduce zoonoses.

کلیدواژه ها:

Animal handlers Animal ، human interaction Hygiene practices Zoonoses