Large animal veterinarians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding livestock abortion-associated zoonoses in the United States indicate potential occupational health risk

Abstract

Objective: To understand large animal veterinarians' knowledge of select zoonotic diseases that cause livestock abortions and identify barriers to using personal protective equipment (PPE).

Sample: A convenience sample of 469 veterinarians currently working with livestock.

Procedures: We sent an electronic survey invitation to large animal veterinarians through various veterinary organizations. Respondents answered questions addressing knowledge and prior experience with select abortion-associated zoonotic diseases, resources available for infection control, attitudes and barriers to PPE use, and demographics.

Results: Median participant age was 49 years (range, 22 to 82 years), and 54% (235/438) were male. Half of veterinarians (185/348) were contacted 5 or fewer times per year to consult on livestock abortions. No veterinarians surveyed answered all questions on zoonotic disease transmission correctly. Personal protective equipment access varied, from 99% (289/290) having access to gloves to 20% (59/290) having access to respirators. Concerns for spreading disease to other animals (136/289 [47%]) and to other humans (108/287 [38%]) ranked as the most common reported motivators for PPE use. Reported barriers to PPE use among survey participants were the inconvenience of taking PPE into the field (101/286 [35%]) and the inconvenience of wearing PPE (97/286 [34%]). Access to PPE was not correlated with PPE use.

Clinical relevance: Surveyed veterinarians had limited knowledge of transmission of select abortion-associated zoonotic diseases. Incomplete understanding might lead to inappropriate PPE selection, preventable disease exposure, or missed opportunities for client education. Inconvenience was a primary reason PPE was not used.

Figure 1—

Perceived occupational risk of acquiring select zoonotic diseases in the primary work environment among large animal veterinarians administered a web-based survey on knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding livestock abortion-associated zoonoses in the US from June 10, 2019, through October 31, 2019. Survey participants were asked to indicate their level of perceived risk of acquiring campylobacteriosis, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, Q fever, and brucellosis (Brucella suis and Brucella abortus) in their primary work environment. The number of respondents is denoted beneath each question. Gray represents “no risk,” dark gray is “slight risk,” black is “moderate risk,” and light gray is “high risk.” Salmonellosis was the zoonotic disease that veterinarians reported as the highest risk of acquiring.

Figure 2—

Level of perceived importance of motivators for using personal protective equipment (PPE) among respondents described in Figure 1. The number of respondents is denoted beneath each question. Gray represents “not important,” dark gray is “of little importance,” black is “moderately important,” light gray is “important,” and medium gray is “very important.” The largest number of veterinarians marked “concern for spreading the disease to other animals” and “concern for spreading the disease to other humans” as “very important” motivators for PPE use.

Figure 3—

Level of perceived concern toward potential barriers to PPE among the respondents described in Figure 1. The number of respondents is denoted beneath each question. Gray represents “not concerned”, dark gray is “slightly concerned”, black is “moderately concerned”, and light gray is “very concerned.” Most potential barriers were not or were slightly concerning for surveyed veterinarians.