Zoonotic disease risk perceptions and practices related to livestock production and consumption: a qualitative study among animal rearers and veterinary care providers in Northeast India.

INTRODUCTION: Zoonotic diseases (ZDs) pose significant global health risks, affecting both public health and the livelihoods of indigenous communities. The Northeast Region of India, with its rich biodiversity, remoteness and porous international borders, is a hotspot for ZDs. Despite extensive human-animal interactions, where risks are likely elevated, there is little literature on zoonoses. This study documented practices related to livestock slaughtering as well as local knowledge and perceptions of zoonoses among livestock rearers and veterinary care providers from such settings. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study involving 46 participants (livestock rearers, traditional animal healers and veterinary professionals) in Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya state. Livestock rearers with >10 years of experience and veterinary doctors were purposively sampled while traditional healers were identified through snow-ball sampling. RESULTS: The concept of 'zoonoses' was unfamiliar to livestock rearers and traditional healers. Once the idea of zoonotic transmission was introduced, participants acknowledged its possibility and identified mainly meat consumption as a potential route of transmission. Livestock rearers largely practised 'backyard slaughtering'. They expressed concerns about the lack of preslaughter health checks for livestock, consumption of sick or dead animals and inadequate hygiene in animal sheds as possible risk factors. Livestock rearers and traditional healers possessed local knowledge of common animal diseases and believed that transmission of animal diseases occurs through imported livestock, insect vectors and pig feed. A local practice of relevance was the use of rinse water from meats in households as pig feed. CONCLUSION: This study identified awareness and practice gaps regarding ZD risks, underscoring the need for multiprong public health interventions in rural communities. A One Health communication strategy integrating community education, frontline worker training and cross sector collaboration would strengthen disease prevention and enhance early response.