Awareness and risk perception of bovine brucellosis among subsistence and medium-large scale farmers, and veterinarians: Insights from focus groups in Ecuador

Bovine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that poses significant risks to both livestock and humans, particularly those who come into contact with infected animals or consume unpasteurized dairy products. This disease is enzootic in Ecuador. Although previous studies have primarily examined its prevalence, there is limited understanding of veterinarians' perceptions of the issue and the awareness levels among cattle farmers regarding the associated risks. In this study, we used qualitative methods to examine the perception of bovine brucellosis control among veterinarians in Ecuador, as well as the awareness levels and risk perception of subsistence and medium and large-scale farmers regarding the disease. Four focus groups, two with veterinarians and two with cattle farmers were held between March and May 2022, involving veterinarians from eight Ecuadorian provinces working for the public, private, and academic sectors, as well as subsistence-scale farmers from an indigenous community in the highlands, and medium- and large-scale farmers in the coastal region. The findings showed that veterinarians believe farmers have limited knowledge about brucellosis and are unaware of the health risks associated with this disease. They also identified obstacles related to enforcing current laws, insufficient resources for health education, operational limitations of health organizations, and a lack of incentives for participating in the brucellosis control program. Subsistence- and medium and large-scale farmers displayed a low level of knowledge about brucellosis and limited awareness of associated risks. Risky livestock practices harmful to both animal and human health were also noted among these farmers. Socio-cultural factors, age, educational level, and gender were identified as barriers to accessing technology and information about bovine brucellosis prevention.