Effectiveness and implementation challenges of a livestock asset transfer intervention for smallholders in community-protected areas in Cambodia

BACKGROUND: Limited opportunities to generate income in community-protected areas (CPAs) often lead to the illegal harvesting of wildlife and natural resources, undermining the aim of protected areas. Sustained livestock production can be an alternative income source. OBJECTIVES: To understand the effectiveness and feasibility of livestock production in CPAs. METHODS: We conducted a livestock asset transfer intervention in 25 CPAs across three agroecological zones in Cambodia. We monitored livestock mortality, consumption and sales of livestock over 2 years. Participant observations and structured questionnaires were conducted to elicit information about constraints for livestock production perceived by the participants. A total of 756 households were recruited and 320, 184 and 252 households received chicken, pigs and cattle, respectively. All participants received technical training in livestock production and biosecurity management practices. RESULTS: After the intervention, the number of chickens, pigs and cattle increased on average by 5.9 (range: 0.3-26.3), 0.5 (-1 to 2.7) and 0.12 (0-0.35) per 1 input animal, respectively. The extent of increase was significantly different between zones only for chickens (Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.004). The number of chickens and pigs sold per household was significantly different among zones. We observed that training was ineffective to alter livestock management practices in some CPAs, which partially explains their suboptimal performance of livestock production. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding contextual factors required for successful livestock production in CPAs is crucial for improving livelihoods and preventing biodiversity loss in Cambodia

Experimental cross-contamination of chicken salad with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and London during food preparation in Cambodian households

Non-typhoidal Salmonellae are common foodborne pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis and other illnesses in people. This is the first study to assess the transfer of Salmonella enterica from raw chicken carcasses to ready-to-eat chicken salad in Cambodia. Twelve focus group discussions in four Cambodian provinces collected information on typical household ways of preparing salad. The results informed four laboratory experiments that mimicked household practices, using chicken carcasses inoculated with Salmonella. We developed four scenarios encompassing the range of practices, varying by order of washing (chicken or vegetables first) and change of chopping utensils (same utensils or different). Even though raw carcasses were washed twice, Salmonella was isolated from 32 out of 36 chicken samples (88.9%, 95% CI: 73.0–96.4) and two out of 18 vegetable samples (11.1%, 95% CI: 1.9–36.1). Salmonella was detected on cutting boards (66.7%), knives (50.0%) and hands (22.2%) after one wash; cross-contamination was significantly higher on cutting boards than on knives or hands (p-valu

Understanding networks in rural Cambodian farming communities and how they influence antibiotic use: A mixed methods study.

Biosecurity and preventive animal health services in Cambodian smallholder backyard farming systems are often limited, leading to an over-reliance on antibiotics. However, data on factors influencing antibiotic use in these settings are lacking. We conducted a study in two rural Cambodian farming communities to investigate how social and contextual influences affect both human and animal antibiotic use behaviours. Data were collected in three phases: a baseline household census to enumerate village residents, a social network survey to understand village-level social ties, and in-depth interviews to elicit information about the influence of social ties on their decision-making processes. Primary outcome measures included knowledge, attitudes and practices surrounding antibiotic use, and awareness of issues relating to antibiotic resistance. Participants commonly accessed antibiotics or learned animal antibiotic use practices through village-level informal sources such as pharmacies or animal health workers. While most participants reported not using antibiotics for animal growth promotion or illness prevention, misconceptions surrounding both antibiotic effectiveness and resistance were common. Social networks capturing informal, work-related and health-related social ties showed that familial connections and geographic proximity were of primary importance for information sharing. Using exponential random graph models, we demonstrated that familial ties, and closer geographic and geodesic distance, were associated with similarity in overall antibiotic knowledge and attitudes. The informal private sector plays a major role in provision of antibiotics and antibiotic-related information in backyard farming communities, but such information is maintained within close social groups. This demonstrates the importance of engaging village-level informal sources in the provision of antibiotic-related information for both human and animal health, as well as in potential interventions to encourage appropriate antibiotic behaviours in lower-resourced settings

Evaluation of cutaneous immune response in a controlled human in vivo model of mosquito bites

International audienceMosquito-borne viruses are a growing global threat. Initial viral inoculation occurs in the skin via the mosquito ‘bite’, eliciting immune responses that shape the establishment of infection and pathogenesis. Here we assess the cutaneous innate and adaptive immune responses to controlled Aedes aegypti feedings in humans living in Aedes -endemic areas. In this single-arm, cross-sectional interventional study (trial registration #NCT04350905), we enroll 30 healthy adult participants aged 18 to 45 years of age from Cambodia between October 2020 and January 2021. We perform 3-mm skin biopsies at baseline as well as 30 min, 4 h, and 48 h after a controlled feeding by uninfected Aedes aegypti mosquitos. The primary endpoints are measurement of changes in early and late innate responses in bitten vs unbitten skin by gene expression profiling, immunophenotyping, and cytokine profiling. The results reveal induction of neutrophil degranulation and recruitment of skin-resident dendritic cells and M2 macrophages. As the immune reaction progresses T cell priming and regulatory pathways are upregulated along with a shift to T h 2-driven responses and CD8 + T cell activation. Stimulation of participants’ bitten skin cells with Aedes aegypti salivary gland extract results in reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production. These results identify key immune genes, cell types, and pathways in the human response to mosquito bites and can be leveraged to inform and develop novel therapeutics and vector-targeted vaccine candidates to interfere with vector-mediated disease