Financial Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on Large Ruminant Smallholder Farmers in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

A retrospective investigation of financial losses incurred by large ruminant smallholder farmers due to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in 2010-12 in northern Laos was conducted in 2012. The aim was to support recommendations on sustainable transboundary animal disease control strategies in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Large ruminant smallholders in the three northern provinces of Luang Prabang (LPB), Xiengkhoung (XK) and Xayyabouli (XYL) were interviewed (n = 310). Financial losses were determined, including direct losses due to mortality (100% of pre-FMD sale value) and morbidity (difference between the expected sale price pre-FMD and 1 month following onset of FMD), and indirect losses due to costs of treatments. The losses due to FMD per household varied between provinces (P < 0.001) and were USD 1124, USD 862 and USD 381 in LPB, XK and XYL, respectively, being 60, 40 and 16% of annual household income. Comparison of the costs of FMD with annual household income from sales of large ruminants indicated losses of 213, 181 and 60% of the income in LPB, XK and XYL, respectively. The variation in losses between provinces was due to differences in levels of morbidity with highest in LPB, treatment methods with antibiotic use common in LPB, age of animals sold and sale prices with higher prices in XK. Partial budget analysis of biannual FMD vaccination indicated an average net benefit of USD 22 and USD 33 for cattle and buffalo, respectively. However, vaccination alone is unlikely to control FMD in the region. Promotion of multiple large ruminant health and production intervention programmes to stimulate interest in biosecurity in addition to vaccination is recommended, providing a more sustainable pathway for poverty reduction through the current expansion of livestock investments in the GMS.

[1]  J. Young,et al.  The impact of best practice health and husbandry interventions on smallholder cattle productivity in southern Cambodia , 2014 .

[2]  S. Nampanya,et al.  Investigation of foot and mouth disease hotspots in northern Lao PDR. , 2013, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[3]  J. Young,et al.  Assessment of financial impact of foot and mouth disease on smallholder cattle farmers in Southern Cambodia. , 2013, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[4]  S. Nampanya,et al.  Improvement in smallholder farmer knowledge of cattle production, health and biosecurity in Southern Cambodia between 2008 and 2010. , 2012, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[5]  M. Avery,et al.  Significant mortality of large ruminants due to hypothermia in northern and central Lao PDR , 2012, Tropical Animal Health and Production.

[6]  Xiang-tao Liu,et al.  Southeast Asian Foot-and-Mouth Disease Viruses in Eastern Asia , 2012, Emerging infectious diseases.

[7]  S. Morzaria,et al.  Animal disease and livestock-keeper livelihoods in Southern Cambodia , 2012 .

[8]  B. Madin.  An evaluation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak reporting in mainland South-East Asia from 2000 to 2010. , 2011, Preventive veterinary medicine.

[9]  A. Cameron,et al.  Foot-and-mouth disease control and eradication in the Bicol Surveillance Buffer Zone of the Philippines. , 2011, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[10]  P. Windsor,et al.  Perspectives on Australian animal health aid projects in South-East Asia. , 2011, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[11]  S. Nampanya,et al.  Assessment of farmer knowledge of large ruminant health and production in developing village-level biosecurity in northern Lao PDR. , 2010, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[12]  S. Khounsy,et al.  Limiting the Impacts of foot and mouth disease in large ruminants in northern Lao People's Democratic Republic by vaccination: a case study. , 2010, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[13]  M. Grubman,et al.  Foot and mouth disease virus vaccines. , 2009, Vaccine.

[14]  B. Charleston,et al.  Options for control of foot-and-mouth disease: knowledge, capability and policy , 2009, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[15]  J. Valarcher,et al.  Molecular epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease viruses from South East Asia 1998-2006: the Lao perspective. , 2009, Veterinary microbiology.

[16]  S. Blacksell,et al.  Foot and mouth disease in the Lao People's Democratic Republic: II. Seroprevalence estimates, using structured surveillance and surveys of abattoirs. , 2008, Revue scientifique et technique.

[17]  N. Knowles,et al.  Foot and mouth disease in the Lao People's Democratic Republic: I. A review of recent outbreaks and lessons from control programmes. , 2008, Revue scientifique et technique.

[18]  J. Valarcher,et al.  Epidemiological patterns of foot-and-mouth disease worldwide. , 2008, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[19]  K. Sumption,et al.  Planning for the progressive control of foot-and-mouth disease worldwide. , 2008, Transboundary and emerging diseases.

[20]  J. Millar,et al.  Livestock development and poverty alleviation: revolution or evolution for upland livelihoods in Lao PDR? , 2008 .

[21]  R. T. Wilson.  Status and prospects for livestock production in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic , 2007, Tropical Animal Health and Production.

[22]  Sithong Thongmanivong,et al.  Recent Land Use and Livelihood Transitions in Northern Laos , 2006 .

[23]  B. Baxt,et al.  Foot-and-Mouth Disease , 2004, Clinical Microbiology Reviews.

[24]  S. Blacksell,et al.  The dynamics and impact of foot and mouth disease in smallholder farming systems in South-East Asia: a case study in Laos. , 2002, Revue scientifique et technique.

[25]  Kitching Rp.  Clinical variation in foot and mouth disease: cattle. , 2002 .

[26]  J. Rushton,et al.  The economics of foot and mouth disease. , 2002, Revue scientifique et technique.

[27]  J. Lubroth.  Foot-and-mouth disease. A review for the practitioner. , 2002, The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice.

[28]  R. Kitching,et al.  Control of foot-and-mouth disease through vaccination and the isolation of infected animals , 1998, Tropical Animal Health and Production.

[29]  J. Young,et al.  Progressing smallholder large-ruminant productivity to reduce rural poverty and address food security in upland northern Lao PDR , 2013 .

[30]  S. Martin,et al.  Veterinary Epidemiologic Research , 2009 .

[31]  Michael Epprecht,et al.  The Geography of Poverty and Inequality in the Lao PDR , 2008 .

[32]  J. Rushton.  The economics of animal health and production. , 2008 .

[33]  A. Catley,et al.  Foot and mouth disease in the Borana pastoral system, southern Ethiopia and implications for livelihoods and international trade , 2007, Tropical Animal Health and Production.

[34]  K. Sumption,et al.  Control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease. , 2003, Virus research.