Abstract: Fish retailers and processors in Ghana are directly exposed to fish and are at high risk for fish-related zoonosis, but the epidemiology and prevalence of such fish-based bacteria zoonosis among them remains under-studied. In order to formulate an appropriate prospective cohort and laboratory-based study, the current study was aimed at obtaining the necessary preliminary information from women working in the fish industry in Accra, Ghana.
A questionnaire based exploratory cross-sectional study, with a convenience sampling procedure within a wide covering study area was used to obtain data from 116 persons working within the fish value chain in Accra.
A greater proportion of the predominantly female participants had been involved with only retailing (26.5%) and processing (20.0%) of fish. About 55.6% of them had observed lesions on fish. A few of the participants (24.8%), who were mostly involved with retailing and processing fish, reported having had a rash.
The observance of fish lesion and skin rashes among most retailers and processers of fish, necessitates a study of the prevalence of Mycobacterial spp and the emerging Shewanella spp infections among women in the fish business in the coastal region of Ghana.
Keywords: Questionnaire, Fish lesion, Skin rashes, Zoonosis, Fish handlers.
Title: A Preliminary Descriptive-Data-Gathering Study among Fish Handlers in Accra
Author: Edna Dzifa Doe, Adolf Kofi Awua, Kingsley Kwame Nsowah, Kofi Dzorgbenyui Bedzra, Oti Kwasi Gyamfi
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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