Practice of people in dealing with animals related to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Nur County, Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran.

Background: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonosis tick-borne disease transmitted by tick biting, contact to blood or carcass of infected animals or humans. Iran is located in the category of countries with high prevalence of CCHF. However, no report of this disease was made from Mazandaran Province until 2010. Because of the first report of CCHF occurrence in Nur County, Mazandaran province in occupation related to animals, this study was undertaken to investigate high risk practice of people engaged in occupations related domesticated animal. Methods & Materials: In 2012, a cross-sectional study was performed on 314 people including livestock farmers, animal keepers, shepherds, butchers, abattoir workers, chefs and veterinary staff to investigate their practice against CCHF disease in three Districts of Nur County. Prevalence of each practice including lack of protective wear, contact with livestock, slaughtering and contact with fresh flesh and blood of livestock and removing and squashing ticks from animals' body with unprotected hand were reported and relationship between each practice and demographic and ecologic variables were analyzed by Pearson's chi-square and binomial regression tests (P < 0.05). Results: 289 out of 314 individuals were interviewed. Odds ratio (OR) of high risk practices including lack of protective wear when slaughtering or slicing fresh raw livestock meat was high in livestock farming (OR = 29.69, CI: 10.56-83.41), in people older than 59 years and more (OR = 23.93, CI: 3-190.8), in illiterate individuals (OR = 12.86, CI: 3.52-46.99) than other groups. Removing and squashing ticks from animals' body with unprotected hand was high in category of butchers who worked in sheep and beef husbandry than other occupations (OR = 40.5, CI: 5.37-305.34). Conclusion: Our results proved high risk practices in the animal husbandry occupations; it would be a continuation of the increased risk of CCHF and even its epidemic among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]