Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease. It is transmitted between animals and humans and forms approximately 60% of all human infective organisms with a diversity of animal hosts including wildlife, pets and domestic animals. Anthrax diseases are the most striking example which transferred between animals and persons in a natural way. Anthrax control vaccine was first developed by Pasteur in 1881 and has been updated in 1939, throughout the early 1900s, it successful widespread disease control. In 2016 this outbreak in world wide. The most common type affects the skin and accounts for more than 95% of all cases. Other types are inhalation or pulmonary anthrax, and ingestion or intestinal anthrax. it is distributed globally and remains enzootic in many regions of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Central and South America. It is estimated that there are 2,000 to 20,000 human anthrax cases occurring annually worldwide. Hence, the true incidence of anthrax in man from three Southern Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, during the last two decades, about 70 cases of human anthrax have been encountered at Christian Medical College, Vellore, of which 26 cases had cutaneous anthrax. During August 2009–October 2010, in Bangladesh 140 animal cases of anthrax and 273 human cases of cutaneous anthrax. 91% of persons in whom cutaneous anthrax developed had history of butchering sick animals, handling raw meat, contact with animal skin. In the year of 2007 in West Bengal the anthrax incidence rate is 111 including 10 in Orissa, 54 in Andhra Pradesh, 18 in Karnataka, 16 in West Bengal, 12 in Tamilnadu, 35 cases in Pondicherry. During 1990 to 2000. Orissa reported 42 cases with 2 fatal, in 2002 reported 11 cases, between them 3 fatal, 2004; 52 (6) in 2005; 19 (4) in 2006; 55 (11) in 2007; 68 (8) in 2008; 59 etc. Anthrax disease in the region is increasing, with 45 deaths of 439 cases recorded in the past nine years. An anthrax patient was first identified in Sarapalli in 1992, and since then, cases have been recorded in Narayanpatna, Laxmipur, Dasmantpur, Baipariguda, Lamtaput, Semeliguda, Potangi, and Nandapur at Koraput district.

Methods: A Pre-Experimental study with single group pre-test and post-test without control group design with quantitative (experimental) approach was undertaken on 100 affected tribal communities selected by convenient sampling technique in rural area, Koraput district, Odisha. Data was collected through self-structured questionnaire and data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge and attitude score were highly significant (P< 0.05) level and there was a significant association between knowledge and the selected demographic variable that is ‘occupation’ (0.029) and ‘awareness on previous health information’ (0.024) at level of (P< 0.05).

Conclusions: The present study “Efficacy of structured health education programme on knowledge and attitude among affected tribal communities regarding prevention of anthrax at rural area of Koraput district, Odisha.” the study shows that the knowledge and attitude among tribal communities about prevention of anthrax is very effective.