COMPLIANCE WITH INFECTION CONTROL PRACTICES AMONG VETERINARIANS IN NIGERIAN

Abstract

Veterinarians are professionals with high level of knowledge on animal disease care and were trained on modes of zoonotic diseases transmission. The global rising prevalence of morbidity and mortality among these professionals from zoonotic infections have highlighted them as the most at risk group among other exposed category of personnel that have daily contact with animals. This is worrisome as they are regarded as defence or bridging population for zoonoses entry into the human population. Studies that considered factors associated with compliance with standard infection control practices among veterinarians are very rare at the national level. It was against this background that this study was conducted to assess compliance with standard infection control practices by veterinarians in Nigeria. The study was a cross sectional survey. Purposive sampling was used in the administration of structured questionnaire to 320 attending veterinarians at the Nigerian Medical Veterinary Association Annual Conference held in Ilorin Kwara state on 21-24th November, 2011. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 15.0. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test was used to calculate proportions of sociodemographic and practice characteristics of veterinarians; and to test for association between these factors with levels of compliance and standard infection control practices respectively. Logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between these factors and compliance with standard infection control practices. Levels of standard infection control compliance. The age range of veterinarians was 22-68 while their mean age was 38.97 (SD=8. 7). Majority of veterinarians 51.1 % and 61.2% during risky medical procedure for zoonosis transmission did not comply with appropriate infection control practices. Veterinarians who were owners of their practice were found to be less likely than those employed in government veterinary clinic to have complied with standard infection control practices (OR=0.673, 95%CI= 0.152-0.693). Also, veterinarians with >15 years of practice were found to be less likely than those having :≤15 to have complied with standard infection control practices (OR=0.416 (0.230-0.753). Unlikely compliance with standard infection control practices were also found among veterinarians with ≥60 weekly working hours (OR=0.519, 95%CI=0.278-0.971) compared with those with >60 weekly working hours. Veterinarians working within practices without written infection control policy were significantly more likely to fail in comply with standard infection practices (OR=3.714, 95%Cl= l .870-7.373). There is need for policy makers to ensure that veterinary establishments have infection control policy. There is also need to ensure that they comply with these infection control practices.