Abstract

Jos has a large population of dogs because of its cultural acceptance as meat, good weather condition for exotic breeds, persistent security challenges and dog breeding activities which is very lucrative. This study was undertaken to determine the risk factors and level of awareness of canine brucellosis among dog owners in Jos by means of a structured questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty respondents were interviewed and 350 sera samples collected from dogs presented by these respondents were analysed using the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT). The seropositivity of 113 (32.3%) obtained by the RBPT was compared with information provided by the respondents. Seropositivity of dogs managed indoors was 13.9% whereas it was 37.1% in those managed outdoors. A large proportion of 76.9% of the respondents lacked knowledge of canine brucellosis. Likewise, 81.4% of the respondents took no precaution before and after dog handling and a large proportion of 74.6% consumed undercooked dog meat. This study showed that there is a high risk of exposure of dog owners, handlers and Veterinarians to the disease and therefore enlightenment programmes on canine brucellosis as a zoonosis should be carried out in Jos.

Key words: Dog handling, structured questionnaire, RBPT, seropositivity, enlightenment, zoonoses.