{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T17:54:28Z","timestamp":1785434068513,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]],"date-time":"2026-05-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778889600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases"},{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03xq4x896","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis endemic in Madagascar, threatening human and animal health as well as the economy. Trade-related livestock movements are a major factor in the spread of RVF virus. While previous RVF research in Madagascar has focused on farmers or general ecology, this study is the first to specifically target livestock traders, the primary drivers for long-distance viral spread, in the Alaotra Mangoro endemic hotspot. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, prevailing attitudes and current practices regarding RVF among people engaged in livestock trade in the Alaotra Mangoro region, as well as the factors associated with these KAPs. A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted among 406 livestock traders in five districts of the Alaotra Mangoro region, using a structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling approach was employed, utilising purposive selection of markets followed by snowball sampling to reach informal traders often missed by traditional surveys. Generalised linear mixed models were used to analyse factors associated with KAPs regarding RVF. Awareness of RVF was very low (only 18.5% respondents had heard of it), with significant regional disparities (0% in Anosibe An\u2019Ala versus 51.6% in Moramanga). Veterinarians (15.5%), family (12.8%), radio (9.6%) and neighbours (9.6%) were the main sources of information. Understanding of symptoms and modes of transmission (particularly mosquito bites) was limited. Higher levels of education (OR = 181.6; 95% CI: 29.9\u20131123.7; p &lt; 0.001) and older age (50\u201360 years) were associated with better knowledge. Proactive attitudes were scarce (21.4%), although more than half (53.4%) believed that RVF is a real disease. Perception of personal risk and the contribution of livestock trade to the spread of the disease was low. However, confidence in animal vaccination was relatively high (60.3%). Preventive practices were highly inadequate. The majority did not wear protective equipment when handling sick animals (94.6%) and rarely avoided touching aborted foetuses (12.6%). Less than half (48.3%) expressed a willingness to report sick or dead animals, and nearly half admitted to having sold or purchased sick livestock (49.5%). Cooking meat (95.1%) and using mosquito nets (74.1%) were the only well-established practices. More than half of respondents (57.9%) lived more than 5 km from veterinary services, and cost was the most frequently cited barrier to consultation. Participation in awareness campaigns was virtually non-existent (5.4%). Results revealed critical gaps in KAP that may contribute to the persistence of RVF. A \u201cOne Health\u201d approach is imperative, integrating human, animal and environmental health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed11050136","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T08:56:27Z","timestamp":1779094587000},"page":"136","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Rift Valley Fever Among Livestock Traders in the Alaotra Mangoro Region, Madagascar"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2445-3326","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e9lix","family":"Alain","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"},{"name":"National Institute of Public and Community Health (INSPC), Antananarivo 101, Madagascar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0999-5019","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Botovola","family":"Miraimila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Public and Community Health (INSPC), Antananarivo 101, Madagascar"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V\u00e9ronique","family":"Chevalier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Antananarivo 101, Madagascar"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2268-9748","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peter N.","family":"Thompson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WOAH (2025, August 23). 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