Understanding Attitude, Practice and Knowledge of Infectious Bronchitis Disease Among Poultry Farmers in Federal Capital Territory - Nigeria

This study, involving 120 poultry farmers (82.00% male, 18.00% female) raising layers (63.00%), broilers (35.00%), and mixed flocks (2.00%) with sizes from 200 to 100,000 birds, investigated the interplay between knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and the occurrence of Infectious Bronchitis (IB) in poultry. A critical observation was that vaccine administration, a key preventive measure, was often entrusted to farm attendants (45.00%) who may lack adequate understanding of biological material handling, potentially leading to vaccine failure and disease spread. While 45.00% of respondents limited their IB vaccination knowledge to laying birds, 55.00% understood its relevance to all bird types. Despite 95.00% acknowledging the economic impact of IB, 48.30% did not vaccinate against IB after 3-in-1 administration, and 23.30% had no vaccination history. Although all farmers kept medication records, only 25.00% consistently screened for maternal derived antibodies, a practice crucial for effective vaccination scheduling. Furthermore, a notable portion of farmers (15.00% strongly disagreed, 5.00% disagreed) lacked knowledge regarding the importance of priming birds before 3-in-1 vaccination. The findings show a critical need for increased awareness among poultry farmers, particularly concerning comprehensive vaccination protocols for all bird types, accurate disease recognition beyond clinical signs, and the significance of practices like maternal derived antibody screening to effectively mitigate IB and its economic consequences.