Changes in farmer animal health and biosecurity knowledge, attitudes and practices: Insights from Cambodia and Laos.

Livestock agriculture in Cambodia and Laos is severely affected by endemic and exotic transboundary animal diseases, impacting household livelihoods and food and nutritional security. Collaborative animal health and biosecurity projects were conducted in each country between 2015 and 2019 aimed at increasing smallholder livestock production through mainly knowledge-based interventions in large ruminant disease prevention, nutrition, reproduction and marketing access. This study's objectives were to identify baseline animal health and biosecurity knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of farmers, and temporal changes in key attitudes and practices associated with improved knowledge.

Serological Evidence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Infection in Goats in Lao PDR.

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) causes significant economic loss in Lao PDR (Laos) and perpetuates the cycle of smallholder poverty mainly through large ruminant productivity losses, increased costs of production and potential limitations to market access for trade in livestock and their products. Goats are emerging as an important livestock species in Laos, and there is an increasing trend in the number of households with goats, often farmed alongside cattle and buffalo. Although an FMD susceptible species, very little is known about the role of goats in the epidemiology of the disease in Laos.

Risk factors for Neospora caninum, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, and Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo infection in smallholder cattle and buffalo in Lao PDR.

Smallholder large ruminant production in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) is characterised by low reproductive efficiency. To determine if common abortifacient bovid infectious diseases are involved, a serological investigation was conducted. Sera was collected from stored and fresh cattle (n = 390) and buffalo (n = 130) samples from 2016-18 from, and then examined for associations in a retrospective risk factor study of 71 herds.

Financial impact of an outbreak of clinically diagnosed blackleg - a case study from Lao PDR.

Blackleg (BL) is an acute to peracute highly fatal infectious disease of mainly large ruminants characterised by lesions of myonecrosis caused by Clostridium chauvoei, usually presenting as a sudden onset of sporadic mortalities. In Southeast Asia, 'BL' is considered a cause of occasional outbreaks of a subacute febrile illness, although there are few published reports available. Investigation of a major outbreak of clinically diagnosed BL occurring in large ruminants (cattle and buffalo) in three neighbouring villages in central Laos in mid-2017, was conducted to determine the financial impacts of BL on smallholder livelihoods.

Risk factors for emergence of exotic foot-and-mouth disease O/ME-SA/Ind-2001d on smallholder farms in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a significant endemic transboundary animal disease in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The disease has been shown to perpetuate the cycle of smallholder poverty through reduced animal production, plus limitations on market access for trading in livestock and their products. Despite significant national and multilateral efforts to control FMD over the past two decades, endemic FMD viruses (FMDVs) continue to circulate in Lao PDR.

Investigating baseline red meat slaughter operator capacity and directions for development in Lao PDR.

A study of operator knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in red meat slaughter premise operations in northern Laos was conducted and compared with international best practice, to inform future industry development. The survey interviewed 68 (of 94 possible participants) employees from all ten commercial slaughter premises in six districts in three northern Laos provinces. This was supported by observations of slaughter premises, processes and the conduct of personnel.

Improving smallholder food security through investigations of carcass composition and beef marketing of buffalo and cattle in northern Lao PDR.

This study determined the carcass composition of Lao indigenous buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and cattle (Bos indicus), then examined trends in bovine meat marketing following review of records of beef production and prices in the two major cities of Luang Prabang (LPB) and Xieng Khoung (XK) provinces in northern Laos. Samples from 41 buffalo and 81 cattle (n = 122) were collected from animals slaughtered in May-June 2014, with live weights, carcass weights and other carcass-related variables collected. The animals were classified into four age cohort groups (<2, 2-<4, 4-6 and >6 years) with quantitative and dichotomous qualitative traits determined.

Promoting transboundary animal disease risk management via a multiple health and husbandry intervention strategies in upland Lao PDR.

Surveys of smallholder farmer knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) and income were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in five northern provinces of Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR; n = 200 farmers). Participating villages were classified as either from a livelihood development project (LV; n = 80 farmers) or a livestock research project that contained both 'high-intervention' (HI; n = 60 farmers) or 'low-intervention' (LI; n = 60 farmers) villages. Farmer training plus a suite of health and productivity interventions were implemented in HI sites; only vaccination was implemented in LI sites, whilst various interventions and limited vaccination were introduced to LV sites.

Prevalence and clinical impact of Toxocara vitulorum in cattle and buffalo calves in northern Lao PDR.

This study was completed to determine the prevalence and distribution of Toxocara vitulorum infection in cattle and buffalo calves and investigate its clinical impact in northern Lao PDR (Peoples Democratic Republic). The results aim to assist decisions on disease control measures that can contribute to increasing cattle and buffalo productivity within smallholder farming systems in tropical areas. A prevalence survey for T.

Significant mortality of large ruminants due to hypothermia in northern and central Lao PDR.

An extreme cold exposure event occurred between March 14th and 19th 2011 in northern and central Lao PDR resulting in a major mortality of cattle and buffalo. At least six northern and one central province reported losses, involving 46 districts and 1,384 smallholder farmers, with a total of 7,162 cattle and 3,744 buffalo reported to have died in association with cold weather. Affected animals were observed to shiver, display slow and shallow respiration, lose consciousness and eventually die.