With an estimated 80% of Cambodia's population living and working in rural areas, smallholder farm systems that integrate cash crops and livestock have a crucial role in rural society. Infectious diseases such as haemor-rhagic septicaemia (HS) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have significant impacts on large ruminant populations and smallholder farmers in Cambodia. Although recent reductions in national large ruminant and swine herd sizes are likely due to socioeconomic and climatic factors, interventions that use market drivers and enhance productivity are considered to offer opportunities to improve smallholder incomes and reduce rural poverty. Trans-boundary animal diseases remain a limiting constraint on expansion of this sector. This paper provides an overview of Cambodian livestock populations, current national disease surveillance, and findings from active disease surveillance conducted in the 'Best practice health and husbandry of cattle, Cambodia' (BPHH) project, including an FMD financial impact survey. The national large ruminant and swine livestock population decreased between 2009 and 2011, while the poultry population increased. Multiple factors are considered to have influenced this change, including feed costs, endemic infectious disease, market trends and demand for protein, climate and illegal trade. Data from the Department of Animal Health and Production indicate that FMD and HS are endemic and widespread. Vaccination coverage of the national large ruminant population in 2010 and 2011 has been estimated at 2.7% and 2.1% for FMD, and 43.8% and 41.0% for HS. The extremely low coverage for FMD is important because an assessment of the financial impacts of FMD on smallholder farmers indicates that severe losses can occur due to this disease. Preventing infectious diseases through biosecurity measures and reducing risk behaviours is also important, particularly when vaccine availability is limited and farmers are hesitant or resistant to pay for vaccination.
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