Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards anthrax among Communities in the Southern and South-western Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis is an endemic zoonotic disease in Ethiopia, primarily affecting domestic and wild ruminants and often resulting in severe and potentially fatal infection in humans. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to November 2025 to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to anthrax among communities in 10 districts of the southern and southwestern part of Ethiopia. A total of 382 household heads aged 18 years and above were interviewed using structured questionnaires with open and closed-ended questions. Descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlation analysis were used to report frequenciesy, percentages and mean scores to quantify and assess associations of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the communities toward anthrax. RESULTS: Respondents had a mean age of 39.8 ± 12.7 years, with males comprising 92.7% of participants, and 28.3% had no formal education, while the majority were farmers (79.8%). Among the 382 participants, 60.2% had adequate knowledge. 93.7% had heard about anthrax, primarily from veterinary professionals. Two hundred twenty-seven (59.4%) of respondents were aware of the modes of transmission, 58.9% and 77.0% understood prevention measures in humans and animals, respectively. Two hundred fourteen (56.2%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards anthrax, and 91.6% perceived anthrax as a serious disease affecting both humans and animals. A total of 187 (49.0%) of the respondents had good practices toward anthrax prevention, and vaccination practices were commonly reported, with 81.4% of them believing that vaccinating animals is important to protect human health and 98.2% to protect livestock. Among the respondents, 42.2% reported that they manage carcasses of animals suspected of sudden death by burying and burning, 36.7% reported to local veterinary authorities, 10.7% shared and ate the meat with the community and their family, and 3.6% disposed of the carcasses into the environment. Overall, the mean scores (5.9 ± 2.6 out of 10, 5.4 ± 1.2 out of 6, and 2.34 ± 1.3 out of 5) were recorded for knowledge, attitude, and practices, respectively. Participants' knowledge mean score about anthrax was significantly associated with gender (male), level of education (degree), and occupation (government employed) (p < 0.001). There was also a positive significant correlation between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.690, p < 0.001), knowledge-practice (r = 0.417, p < 0.001), and attitude-practice (r = 0.378, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the current study provided essential insights into community awareness and preventive practices, which are critical for strengthening anthrax control and prevention strategies.