Knowledge of Lassa Fever and Its Preventive Practices among Foodstuff Traders in Orioba Market, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Lassa fever is a serious viral disease and a major health problem in Nigeria, where outbreaks occur regularly and cause high sickness and death rates.   The disease is spread mainly through food contaminated by rats and also through direct contact with infected people. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge of Lassa fever and its preventive practices among foodstuff traders in Orloba Market, Umuahia North LGA, Abia State. Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed, and data were collected from 384 traders using a structured questionnaire. The collected data was were cleaned, coded, and analyzed analysed using SPSS version 25.0. Result: The findings revealed that while a majority of respondents (57.0%) had heard of Lassa fever, there were critical gaps in knowledge. Specifically, knowledge was low regarding person-to-person transmission (4.7%) and the non-existence of a vaccine (13.8%). Although avoidance of rats and their excreta was universally reported, daily preventive practices were inadequate: only 31.5% consistently used rodent-proof containers, and 57.0% practised proper handwashing only sometimes. A significant statistical relationship was found between knowledge and the avoidance of bushmeat consumption (p=0.000), yet knowledge showed no significant association with other practices like handwashing or food storage. Conclusion: The study concludes that despite high awareness, profound gaps in specific knowledge and inadequate preventive practices persist among traders. The primary barrier to consistent practice appears to be environmental and structural rather than a lack of knowledge. Recommendations include implementing targeted health education to address specific misconceptions and deploying structural interventions like providing accessible handwashing stations and affordable rodent-proof containers within the market to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice.