Hendra virus and horse owners–risk perception and management.
Abstract: Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic novel paramyxovirus causing sporadic fatal infection in horses and humans in Australia. Species of fruit-bats (genus Pteropus), commonly known as flying-foxes, are the natural host of the virus. We undertook a survey of horse owners in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia to assess the level of adoption of recommended risk management strategies and to identify impediments to adoption. Survey questionnaires were completed by 1431 respondents from the target states, and from a spectrum of industry sectors. Hendra virus knowledge varied with sector, but was generally limited, with only 13% of respondents rating their level of knowledge as high or very high. The majority of respondents (63%) had seen their state's Hendra virus information for horse owners, and a similar proportion found the information useful. Fifty-six percent of respondents thought it moderately, very or extremely likely that a Hendra virus case could occur in their area, yet only 37% said they would consider Hendra virus if their horse was sick. Only 13% of respondents stabled their horses overnight, although another 24% said it would be easy or very easy to do so, but hadn't done so. Only 13% and 15% of respondents respectively had horse feed bins and water points under solid cover. Responses varied significantly with state, likely reflecting different Hendra virus history. The survey identified inconsistent awareness and/or adoption of available knowledge, confusion in relation to Hendra virus risk perception, with both over-and under-estimation of true risk, and lag in the uptake of recommended risk minimisation strategies, even when these were readily implementable. However, we also identified frustration and potential alienation by horse owners who found the recommended strategies impractical, onerous and prohibitively expensive. The insights gained from this survey have broader application to other complex risk-management scenarios.
Publication Date: 2013-11-15 PubMed ID: 24260503PubMed Central: PMC3829918DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080897Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article explores the perception and management of Hendra virus risks among horse owners in Australia. The researchers conducted a survey to assess how much horse owners knew about the virus, whether they had adopted recommended risk-management strategies, and if there were any barriers to these adoptions.
Survey and Respondents
- The survey was conducted in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales, targeting various industry sectors related to horse ownership.
- The completed survey was returned by 1431 respondents, providing the researchers with a wide range of data.
Hendra Virus Knowledge
- The respondents’ knowledge about Hendra virus varied, with only 13% stating they have a high or very high level of understanding.
- Approximately 63% had seen their state’s official information on Hendra virus for horse owners and found the information useful.
Perception and Handling of Risk
- 56% of the respondents believed it was realistic that a Hendra virus case could occur in their area.
- Nevertheless, only 37% responded that they would consider Hendra virus to be the cause if their horse were sick.
Adoption of Risk Management Strategies
- Adoption of recommended risk minimisation strategies was seen to be lacking, with only 13% of horse owners stabling their horses overnight, despite an additional 24% stating it would be easy for them to do so.
- Safeguarding strategies such as placing horse feed bins and water points under solid cover to reduce the risk of contamination were also underutilized, with figures of 13% and 15% respectively.
Impediments to Adoption
- Respondents’ interpretations of the risk were inconsistent, with both over-estimation and under-estimation of the actual risk identified in the survey.
- Some horse owners found the recommended strategies not practical, burdensome, and excessively costly.
Broad Application of Findings
- The insights gained from this survey can be applied to other complex risk-management scenarios, suggesting a systemic issue with the understanding and management of risk among general populations.
Cite This Article
APA
Kung N, McLaughlin A, Taylor M, Moloney B, Wright T, Field H.
(2013).
Hendra virus and horse owners–risk perception and management.
PLoS One, 8(11), e80897.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080897 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ; Animal Biosecurity & Welfare Program, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Animals
- Chiroptera / virology
- Disease Reservoirs / virology
- Educational Status
- Female
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Hendra Virus / pathogenicity
- Henipavirus Infections / diagnosis
- Henipavirus Infections / prevention & control
- Henipavirus Infections / veterinary
- Henipavirus Infections / virology
- Horses / virology
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- Rejection, Psychology
- Risk
- Surveys and Questionnaires
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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