ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Nigeria recorded its first case of avian flu among birds early in the year 2006 and by the third quarter of the year, about sixteen states of the country had been affected. Finding out the knowledge and practices of persons in close contact with birds as regards the avian flu would help to identify areas in need of focused attention and alert the coordinating agencies of the magnitude and prevalence of practices which may encourage the spread of the disease. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey of poultry owners and workers in Osogbo, Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. Information was obtained from 65 of the 100 registered members of the poultry association who consented to answering questions on the pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. RESULT: In this study, 49.1% (28) of the study sample knew of avian flu, and 46.4% (13) of these knew that the disease was present in Nigeria. Only 50% (14) of those who knew about the disease felt it could affect human beings. For those who have heard of the disease before, 85.7% (24) knew it could be transmitted from sick birds to humans. Practices which favour the spread of the virus that were engaged in by the respondents included using bird droppings as manure (71.9%), and feeding fish with intestines of killed chicken (66.7%). CONCLUSION: The study shows a low level of awareness of avian flu among the poultry workers and owners. It is recommended that massive education should be embarked upon for groups occupying strategic positions in disease epidemiology, as well as all stake holders in poultry farming.