Financial Impacts of Foot-and-Mouth Disease at Village and National Levels in Lao PDR

Abstract

To assist policies on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) control in Laos and the Mekong region, the financial impact of recent outbreaks at village and national levels was examined. Village-level impacts were derived from recent research on financial losses due to FMD per smallholder household and number of households with FMD-affected livestock in the village. National-level impacts of FMD were determined from examination of 2011-2013 FMD reported to the Lao Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF), with the 2011 epidemic reported separately due to the large number and size of outbreaks of FMD in that year. Estimates of the national financial impact of FMD were based on (i) total FMD financial losses at the village level and (ii) the costs of FMD responses and other related costs at the DLF, provincial and district levels where FMD was reported, but excluding the costs of revenue forgone. A Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to account for likelihood of FMD over- and under-reporting. Foot-and-mouth disease was recorded in four provinces of Phonsaly, Bokeo, Xayyabouli and Champasak in three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013. However, the FMD epidemic in 2011 was more widely distributed and involved 414 villages in 14 provinces, with thousands of cases of morbidity in cattle and buffalo and some mortalities. The estimated financial losses due to FMD in 2011 were USD 30 881(±23 176) at the village level and USD 13 512 291 at the national level based on the number of villages with FMD outbreaks reported. However, when the likelihood of FMD under-reporting was accounted for, the estimated financial losses at the national level could potentially increase to USD 102 094 464 (±52 147 261), being almost 12% of the estimated farm gate value of the national large ruminant herd. These findings confirm that FMD causes substantial financial impacts in villages and to the national economy of Laos, providing justification for sustained investments in FMD control programmes.

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

“…Similar studies on the benefits of vaccination against other diseases including FMD in Laos (Nampanya et al . ) and HS in Cambodia (Kawasaki et al . ) confirm that routine vaccination for priority large ruminant diseases is a cost‐effective disease management strategy.…”

“…A previous study on the cost of FMD in Laos indicated that each dollar invested potentially achieved USD 5 in benefits (Nampanya et al . ), with net benefits at the smallholder farmer level of USD 22 for cattle and USD 33 for buffalo, following biannual FMD vaccination (Nampanya et al . ).…”

Peste des Petits Ruminants ( PPR ) virus serological surveillance in goats in Lao PDR : Issues for disease eradication in a low‐resource disease‐free setting

“…PPR virions are excreted for 10 days post onset of fever: hence incidence studies require quick sampling of suspect animals (Parida et al., ). This is achievable as demonstrated through widespread knowledge of FMD virus throughout the country (Nampanya et al., ). Improving the capacity of regional laboratories will be beneficial for a more rapid diagnosis and potentially disease management response to a PPRV outbreak, plus increased diagnostic abilities for additional livestock diseases. Political and financial support.…”

Foot‐and‐mouth disease outbreaks due to an exotic serotype Asia 1 virus in Myanmar in 2017

“…Foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven‐hoofed domestic and wild animals. It is endemic in mainland South‐East Asia (SEA) comprising Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and poses a significant burden to the agriculture sector owing to loss of animal production and access to international markets (Nampanya et al., ). Control of FMD in the region is constrained by gaps in disease surveillance and reporting, substantial unregulated livestock movements, and insufficient vaccination coverage (OIE‐SEACFMD, ).…”