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Knowledge, attitude and perception of bovine piroplasmosis by cattle owners in Constantine, North-East of Algeria, using participatory epidemiology

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Abstract

Cattle piroplasmoses are tick-borne diseases, spread worldwide that cause significant economic losses. A participatory epidemiological study was conducted individually or in focus groups with 73 cattle owners in Beni Hamidene locality (district of Constantine, Algeria). The aim of this study was to study cattle owners’ knowledge, attitude and perception on cattle piroplasmosis. Proportional piling technique was used to determinate most common cattle diseases, and to evaluate economic impact of diseases according to the interwieved farmers. Theileriosis (49/73; 67.1%) and babesiosis (44/73; 60.3%) were considered the most important bovine diseases. No zoonotic disease was cited by the interviewed cattle owners. According to the majority of cattle owners, theileriosis and babesiosis are deadly diseases (87.3 and 78.1%, respectively). All cattle owners (73/73) cited fever as the most common symptom of tropical theileriosis. Some of them (14/73; 19.2%) do not make distinction between theileriosis and babesiosis. According to cattle owners (65/73; 89.0%), the use of acaricide is the most appropriate tick control method. This study provides information about knowledge on bovine piroplasmoses in Algeria. These information could be considered when performing control programmes by both animal decision-makers and field veterinarians.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the cattle owners of Beni Hamidene locality for participating to this survey. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Halima Boulkrout for her collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Environnement : Interactions et Génomes, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumédiène, BP 32 Bab Zouar, 1611, Algies, Algeria

    Asma Amina Foughali & Idir Bitam

  2. Institut des Sciences Vétérinaires, Université Saad Dahlab, BP 270, OuledYaich, 9000, Blida, Algeria

    Asma Amina Foughali

  3. Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles & Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia

    Safa Amairia & Mohamed Gharbi

  4. École Supérieure en Sciences de l’Aliment et des Industries Agroalimentaires (ESSAIA), El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria

    Idir Bitam

  5. Laboratoire des Biotechnologies Liées à la Reproduction Animale (LBRA), Université Blida 1, Blida, Algeria

    Ali Berber

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  1. Asma Amina Foughali
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  2. Safa Amairia
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  3. Idir Bitam
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  4. Ali Berber
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  5. Mohamed Gharbi
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Contributions

AAF performed the interviews, collected and cured the data, carried out the statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript. SA participated in the drafting of the manuscript. IB and AB are responsible for the work administration. MG reviewed the manuscript. All authors revised the manuscript and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Asma Amina Foughali.

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Ethics approval

This study was performed by certified veterinarians that respected the ethical recommendations of the Algerian government.

Consent to participate

The authors get, from all animal owners, verbal informed consent prior to the interviews.

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All authors read and consent the publication of the manuscript.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Foughali, A.A., Amairia, S., Bitam, I. et al. Knowledge, attitude and perception of bovine piroplasmosis by cattle owners in Constantine, North-East of Algeria, using participatory epidemiology. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 167 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02608-3

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