摘要：This study investigated the level of awareness and practices of local communities on Yersinia pestisplague disease in Nkayi and Umzingwane districts, south-western Zimbabwe. The research useda two-way case study where Umzingwane district was used as a quasi-control site and Nkayi districtthe treatment site. Purposive sampling was used to select four villages, i.e. two from Nkayi district(plague endemic area) and two from Umzingwane district (non-plague area). Data were collectedthrough focus group discussions involving 35 respondents held between August 2017 andApril 2018. The study respondents confirmed some awareness of zoonotic diseases albeit limitedknowledge on specific rodent-borne diseases. Respondents from areas that had previous plagueoutbreaks (Nkayi district) were more knowledgeable of the disease compared to those from areaswithout previous known outbreaks (Umzingwane district). Several practises, e.g. use of traps,keeping domestic cats (Felis catus) and use of rodenticides to control rodents and educating peopleon plague disease, were highlighted from both study sites as local plague management strategies.Overall, the study results indicate that the awareness and practices employed by local people in thestudy area are generally influenced by local contextual factors and past experiences.
