Patterns Of Human-animal Contact Among Individuals Living At Human-animal Interface In Jinning,Yunnan Province

Objective:To investigate characteristics of human-animal contacts at human-animal environment interface in Jinning,Yunnan Province and explore patterns of human-animal contacts with different animals so as to make a systematic assessment of the spread and outbreak of zoonotic diseases in this region in China.Method:We conduct a behavior survey using anonymous questionnaires among residuals in Sunset Yi Township of Jinning,Yunnan Province in October 2015.A typical sampling method is applied.Information about personal demographic characteristics,production activities in the past year,animal contacts,medical status,history of disease,cognition and attitudes towards zoonotic disease were included in the questionnaire.Data was entered by Epidata 3.0 software and analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software.Latent class analysis and Latent class regression analysis were completed by Proc LCA in SAS 9.3 software.Results:1.223 subjects were recruited totally,218 individuals offered their effective questionnaires data,and the rate was 97.8%.The respondents were mostly elderly people with average age for(47.7±14.5).Females accounted for 63.8%and farmers accounted for 85.3%.2.Among the 218 respondents,87.2%were engaged in crop production to earn livelihood in the past year,and those who were engaged in activities related with animals accounted for 4.6%.115 respondents were reported to change their behavior when going to a wet market,accounting for 52.8%.27 respondents were reported to do some protections when being scratched or bitten by an animal or being cut while butchering or slaughtering,and those who wash wound with soap and water account for 48.1%.216 respondents would go to medical treatment when having abnormal infection symptoms,accounting for 99.1%and those who go to the hospital for treatment account for the most(64.2%).137 respondents worried about diseases or disease outbreaks in animals at wet markets,accounting for 63.1%and 118 respondents think that animals can spread disease,accounting for 55.4%.3.218 respondents reported their contacts with wildlife in the past year,including bats,rodents,and birds.Contacts with bats were mainly in the way of life contacts,accounting for 9.3%.Contacts with rodents were mainly in the way of life contacts and those who had life contacts with rodents accounting for 65.4%.Contacts with birds were mainly in the way of life contacts and those who had life contacts with birds accounting for 49.8%.4.218 respondents reported their contacts with domestic animals in the past year,including poultry,goats,cattle,swine,dogs,and cats.Contacts with poultry were mainly in the way of life contacts and handling or butchering,accounting for 63.9%,49.8%separately.Swine are reported to have the most life contacts with respondents,accounting for 23.9%.People who handled or butchered livestock(including goats cattle and swine)account for 32.2%,33.7%and 47.8%separately.Contacts with pets such as dogs and cats were mainly in the way of life contacts,handling or butchering and being scratched or bitten.For life contacts,dogs account for the most with a rate of 53.7%,and those who handled or butchered dogs account for 24.9%.Being bitten by dogs were more frequently reported by respondents,accounting for 6.3%.5.The patterns of contacts behavior of respondents were different among different animals:(1)Three latent classes were identified for the contacting pattern of bats:Non_intimate class,intimate class,no-contact class and each class account for 9.3%,0.5%and 90.2%respectively.(2)Two latent classes were identified for the contacting pattern of rodents:multiple contact class with direct and indirect contacts included,single contact class with life contact included,the latter one accounting for 98.4%.Women were more involved in multiple contact class with direct and indirect contacts included(OR=8.872).(3)Four latent classes were identified for the contacting pattern of birds:life contact class,handling poultry class,multiple contacts with wild birds class,and multiple contact with birds class.Life contact class account for the most,71.1%.Women were more involved in handling poultry class and multiple contacts with birds class(OR= 20.809,10.819 respectively).(4)Four latent classes were identified for the contacting pattern of livestock:low contact class,life contact class for raising,handling livestock class for food,and multiple contacts class.Low contact class account for the most,58.1%.Women were more involved in life contact class for raise,handling livestock class for food,and multiple contacts class(OR= 11.802,1.048,17.651 respectively).(5)Three latent classes were identified for the contacting pattern of pets:low contact class,life contact class,and direct-indirect mixed contact class.Low contact class account for the most,79.4%.Women were more involved in life contact class,and direct-indirect mixed contact class(ORF= 1.990,36.032 respectively).Conclusion:1.Individuals engaged in activities related with animals account for a small proportion.Most respondents engaged in crop production.Occupational exposure of animals is still rare.2.Respondents have limit understanding of zoonotic disease:knowledge about transmission route and post-exposure protections are still insufficient.Vital need for health education of protections for zoonotic diseases among people should be emphasized.3.For contacting patterns of animals,low contact and life contact patterns account for the most.Even though human-animal contact is at a low level for these kinds of contacting patterns,infection risk of pathogen resulting from adaptive mutation when having contact with animals should still be emphasized for people involved in these contact modes.4.Small people are involved in high risk contacting mode.Considering that cross-species transmission might happen especially when human-animal contact is at a high level,people involved in high risk contacting patterns should be the key target for education of zoonotic disease.5.Women are to be induced to take a correct attitude towards zoonotic disease and pathogens and should adopt a safe way for contacting with animals so as to minimize the risk of pathogen transmission.