The intersection of land use and human behavior as risk factors for zoonotic pathogen exposure in Laikipia County, Kenya

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2021-02, Vol.15 (2), p.e0009143
• Main Authors: Kamau, Joseph, Ashby, Elizabeth, Shields, Lindsey, Yu, Jennifer, Murray, Suzan, Vodzak, Megan, Kwallah, Allan Ole, Ambala, Peris, Zimmerman, Dawn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biology and Life Sciences; Distribution; Earth Sciences; Environmental aspects; Evaluation; Health aspects; Health behavior; Kenya; Land use; Medicine and Health Sciences; Methods; People and Places; Public health administration; Social Sciences; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009143

A majority of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonotic, mainly caused through spillover events linked to human-animal interactions. We conducted a survey-based human behavioral study in Laikipia County, Kenya, which is characterized by a dynamic human-wildlife-livestock interface. Questionnaires that assessed human-animal interactions, sanitation, and illnesses experienced within the past year were distributed to 327 participants among five communities in Laikipia. This study aimed to 1) describe variation in reported high-risk behaviors by community type and 2) assess the relationship between specific behaviors and self-reported illnesses. Behavioral trends were assessed in R via Fisher's exact tests. A generalized linear mixed model with Lasso penalization (GLMMLasso) was used to assess correlations between behaviors and participants' self-reported illness within the past year, with reported behaviors as independent variables and reported priority symptoms as the outcome. Reported behaviors varied significantly among the study communities. Participants from one community (Pastoralist-1) were significantly more likely to report eating a sick animal in the past year (p< 0.001), collecting an animal found dead to sell in the past year (p