Appraisal of Awareness and Adoption Level of Biosecurity Practices for Disease Prevention and Control among Poultry Farmers in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the awareness and adoption levels of biosecurity practices for disease prevention and control among poultry farmers in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. A total of 120 poultry farmers were randomly selected, and data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that 100% of the respondents were aware of key biosecurity practices such as hand washing, daily cleanliness, and vaccination. However, lower levels of awareness were found for practices such as disinfecting visitors and vehicles (76%) and keeping records of farm visitors (46%). The adoption of biosecurity practices was also uneven, with vaccination against infectious diseases being the most widely adopted practice, with a mean score of 3.8 on a 4-point scale, followed by the isolation of infected birds (3.7). Practices like quarantining new birds (2.7) and providing farm-specific clothing for workers and visitors (2.3) had lower adoption rates. The logit regression analysis revealed that education (P = 0.001), household size (P = 0.017), stock size (P = 0.012), and farm income (P = 0.012) were significant factors influencing the adoption of biosecurity practices. Age had a marginally significant negative effect (P = 0.057), suggesting that younger farmers are more likely to adopt these practices. The study concludes that while awareness of biosecurity practices is generally high, adoption is uneven, particularly for practices perceived as more complex or costly. It recommends targeted education and financial support to increase the adoption of underutilized biosecurity measures.