The Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) organised a study tour with Cambodia’s Takeo provincial authorities and other stakeholders to visit Live Bird Markets in the southern part of Vietnam, an area recognised for its successful implementation of Live Bird Markets (LBMs) improvements.

This study tour provided opportunities for responsible authorities to experience good LBMs and slaughter facilities. The aim of the visit was to compile lessons learned from upgraded LBMs and poultry slaughter facilities, including the process and success factors for improving biosecurity and biosafety. The information gathered will be useful for enhancing the biosecurity and biosafety of the LBM and slaughter facility in Takeo province.  

In Cambodia, Live Bird Markets (LBMs) are considered a key pathway in the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemiology and of major public health concern since hygiene precautions are limited and a large number of birds from different sources aggregate, including species able to maintain silent infection. In the longitudinal surveillance conducted over the past years in key LBMs by the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC) and the National Animal Health and Production Research Institute (NAHPRI) with support from the FAO, high prevalence of influenza A, including HPAI/H5N1, has been detected in the sampled ducks and chickens, with the Takeo Live Bird Market showing a high prevalence and variation in subtypes detected.

In response to this, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are funding the regional project Evidence-Based Risk Management along the Livestock Production and Market Chain (OSRO/RAS/606/USA).

The Cambodia country component of this project is implemented by FAO in collaboration with the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP) and the Takeo Provincial Authorities and focus on supporting biosecurity and biosafety improvement of the Takeo live bird markets and its poultry value chain, both physical and functional facilities as well as practices.