nowledge on Leptospirosis Control and Prevention among Wet Market Workers in Selangor, Malaysia

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis with increasing incidence in Malaysia, particularly in high-risk environments (wet markets) with common exposure to contaminated water and animal waste.Wet market workers are especially vulnerable due to occupational hazards and limited access to health education.Accordingly, we assessed the knowledge related to leptospirosis control and prevention among wet market workers in Selangor, Malaysia and examined the influence of sociodemographic factors thereon.We conducted a cross-sectional study from January to April 2025 at selected wet markets in the Hulu Langat and Petaling districts.We selected 125 respondents through purposive sampling.Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance.Most respondents were aged ≥55 years (40.8%),self-employed (99.2%) and had primary (44.0%) or secondary (38.4%) education.The overall mean knowledge score was 13.98 (SD 5.00) out of 21, indicating moderate knowledge of leptospirosis control and prevention.While the respondent's awareness of transmission routes and general prevention was high, their symptom recognition and diagnostic awareness demonstrated substantial gaps.Knowledge of preventive practices scores were significantly associated with age (p = 0.005), ethnicity (p = 0.003), education level (p = 0.003), employment duration (p = 0.006) and income (p < 0.001).In conclusion, the wet market workers demonstrated moderate understanding of leptospirosis prevention and control, but critical gaps remain in environmental risk prevention and early disease recognition.Thus, public health interventions should target older adults, those with low education and lower-income groups using tailored, context-specific health education strategies to enhance disease prevention efforts in high-risk occupational settings.