Prior knowledge and perceived impacts of tick-borne disease education among indigenous bison workers at an annual roundtable training
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22085244 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexandrea M Welch (Nebraska Medical Center), Mikiya Reuther (Intertribal Agriculture Council), Louise I Lynch-O’Brien (0000-0003-4771-9058, University of Nebraska–Lincoln), Mystera M Samuelson (0000-0002-0754-150X, Nebraska Medical Center, corresponding author), Shaun T Cross (0000-0003-0846-1488, Nebraska Medical Center, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1738923-1738923 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-21 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1738923 |
| PMID | 41648783 |
| OpenAlex | W7125292810 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
Ticks are important vectors of human and animal disease, and outdoor workers are at elevated risk of tickborne diseases (TBDs). This risk is particularly relevant for Indigenous herd workers managing bison (colloquial: buffalo), which are culturally, spiritually, and economically significant. To address this gap, the InterTribal Buffalo Council and Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health partnered with Tick Tag Go (University of Nebraska–Lincoln) to provide education on tick identification, prevention, and TBDs at the 2024 Bison Worker Safety & Herd Health Roundtable. Thirty-four participants, including herd managers, workers, and tribal leaders, engaged in the session, with 27 completing a post-presentation survey. The presentation was well received: 96.3% reported gaining new knowledge, 70.4% indicated they were more likely to implement preventive practices, and 74.1% found the material relevant to their needs. Nearly half (44.4%) expressed interest in additional community-based programming. To our knowledge, this is the first report assessing perceptions of ticks and TBDs among Indigenous agricultural workers. Findings highlight both knowledge gaps and receptiveness to education, underscoring the importance of culturally tailored outreach to reduce TBD risk in Indigenous communities
Agriculture · Animal health · Disease · Herd · Indigenous · Outreach · Public health · Tick · Tick-borne disease · Vector-borne infectious diseases · Veterinary Practice and Education Studies · Zoonotic diseases and public health
| Highly cited | No |
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