First report of knowledge and practices towards toxoplasmosis among cat owners: A cross‐sectional survey in Bangladesh

Raising awareness about Toxoplasma gondii infection among cat owners in Bangladesh is indispensable to formulate persuasive management tactics to avoid zoonotic infections from pet cats. However, to the authors' best knowledge, no studies have been performed in Bangladesh to determine knowledge and practices of toxoplasmosis in cat owners. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to cover this research gap. We carried out a cross‐sectional study in Bangladesh from June 2020 through December 2021. A structured online questionnaire was distributed to cat owners, which were voluntarily completed by them. The questionnaire included socio‐demographic data, aetiology, transmissions, clinical signs, and preventive practices towards toxoplasmosis. Overall, 1,019 cat owners participated voluntarily in the cross‐sectional survey. Among them, 793 (77.82%) participants showed poor knowledge regarding toxoplasmosis. Under specific knowledge sections, 62.51% of the participants revealed incorrect knowledge that toxoplasmosis was a zoonotic disease. In the same way, (72.03–85.77) % of the cat owners were unaware that the disease could be transmitted from improperly washed vegetables, raw or undercooked meat and fish, and contaminated water and milk with cat faeces. Respondents' age, education, occupation, residence type, and marital status were significantly (p