Awareness of Poultry Farmers of Interconnected Health Risks: A Cross-Sectional Study on Mycotoxins, Biosecurity, and Salmonellosis in Jimma, Ethiopia.

Simple Summary: The assessment of farmers' basic and practical knowledge regarding major health risks, such as poultry salmonellosis and mycotoxins, alongside the biosecurity status of farms, is crucial for effectively preventing and controlling poultry diseases in Ethiopia, where poultry production plays a vital role in community livelihoods. This research, conducted from March 2022 to June 2023, aimed to evaluate poultry farmers' basic and practical knowledge concerning salmonellosis and mycotoxins and assess the biosecurity status of small- and medium-scale poultry farms in Jimma, Ethiopia. The study revealed a low overall level of basic knowledge and poor practical knowledge among poultry farmers of managing and handling feed to reduce mycotoxin contamination and prevent Salmonella spp. infections. Furthermore, biosecurity scores were significantly below global averages, with most external biosecurity parameters and all internal measures failing to meet international standards. The findings highlighted weak biosecurity measures, inadequate awareness, and suboptimal practices among poultry farmers in Jimma. Identifying these gaps in basic and practical knowledge as well as biosecurity measures will be critical in designing and implementing effective mitigation strategies for infectious diseases in poultry farms. These results underscore the need for active engagement from all stakeholders in poultry production to boost the sector's productivity in Ethiopia. Poultry farming in Ethiopia is crucial for food security and income, but it faces significant challenges due to gaps in farmer awareness. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Biocheck.UGent™ biosecurity scoring system and a questionnaire to evaluate poultry farmers' basic and practical knowledge concerning salmonellosis and mycotoxins. The questionnaire revealed substantial gaps in basic and practical knowledge regarding Salmonella spp infections and mycotoxin among 38 poultry farmers in Jimma. About 68.4% of farmers were unaware of the impact of salmonellosis on both poultry and human health. Moreover, 78.9% had limited basic knowledge of how salmonellosis affects production and the economy. Farmers also showed limited practical knowledge of farm management and hygiene practices essential for preventing Salmonella spp. infections. Regarding mycotoxins, 63.2% of farmers lacked awareness of poultry feed management, 60.5% were unaware of the health risks mycotoxins pose, and 73.7% did not recognize signs of mycotoxin contamination. Although 55.3% of farmers demonstrated acceptable practical knowledge of strategies to reduce the impact of mycotoxin contaminations, there are still concerns, particularly since 65.8% and 55.3% only showed moderate practical knowledge of feed storage and mycotoxin prevention, respectively. The overall biosecurity scores of poultry farms were below the global average, with a score of 41.7 compared to the worldwide average of 64. The overall mean score for external biosecurity was 44.9, below the global average of 63. All 3 scoring platforms and biosecurity parameters indicated that internal biosecurity was the weakest aspect, with a score of 31.6, well below the global standard of 64. The results showed a weak correlation (rₛ = 0.06) between farmers' basic and practical knowledge scores about Salmonella spp. infections and mycotoxins. Similarly, there was a weak correlation between the poor biosecurity score of poultry farms and the basic and practical knowledge of poultry farmers on Salmonella spp. infections (rₛ = 0.17) and mycotoxins (rₛ = 0.25). In conclusion, the study found that poultry farmers in Jimma had poor basic and practical knowledge scores on Salmonella, mycotoxins, and biosecurity measures. Thus, awareness creation is paramount to improve these gaps to reduce the impact of mycotoxin contamination and poultry diseases and consequently to improve food security and food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]