Knowledge of pet‐related zoonotic diseases and pet care in Hong Kong, a heavily crowded urban setting

BACKGROUND With the rapid expansion of pet animal populations worldwide, pet‐related zoonotic diseases are becoming an important issue in public health. Hong Kong (HK), located in southern China, is one of the most crowded urban centres in the world. The population of pets, especially exotic pets, in HK has grown significantly in recent decades, potentially elevating the risk of pet‐related zoonotic diseases. However, no studies have been conducted to explore the knowledge of HK public towards pet‐related zoonotic diseases and animal husbandry practices. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the level of awareness among the HK public of pet‐related zoonotic diseases and their understanding of proper animal husbandry practices. METHODS The study was carried out in HK from June–August 2019 using both online and paper versions of a questionnaire. A total of 362 completed questionnaires (74.3% return rate) were collected and the responses analysed. RESULTS Sixty percent of the participants were current or past pet owners or planned on becoming pet owners in the coming 2 years, irrespective of their income or size of their living space. Among the participants, pet owners (including those who planned pet ownership) had a relatively higher level of awareness of pet‐related zoonotic disease. However, the overall awareness of zoonotic diseases among both pet and non‐pet owners was low with a knowledge score of
A survey of the Hong Kong (HK) public was conducted to determine the level of knowledge of zoonoses and pet care. The survey revealed limitations in awareness of zoonotic diseases and pet husbandry. This combined with small living spaces shared with pets indicates a potential risk of zoonotic disease transmission.