Abstract
Widespread outbreaks of avian influenza occurred in 2004–2005. The outbreaks resulted in extensive losses for the poultry sector in East and South East Asia. Thailand suffered a tremendous impact from the disease. Later, in 2006, there was another outbreak of the aforementioned disease in poultry production clusters (PPCs) in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeastern region of Thailand. In this study, we conducted an intervention by working together with the Department of Livestock Development officials to improve the biosecurity level of PPCs in this province. The methods employed in the intervention included meetings to build understanding and hear about various ideas and problems among stakeholders; instructions; having the farmers perform self-evaluations of the level of biosecurity on the farms; and measures for motivating farmers, e.g., farm contests and handing out awards. The results revealed the following information: After intervention, attraction to wild bird of poultry farms in PPCs decreased (p < 0.05), because the farmers cut down trees around farm and poultry housing. Moreover, biosecurity system planning inside farms in PPCs increased (p < 0.05). The scores for biosecurity system planning inside farms that increased following the intervention are a positive sign that farmers will continue to develop better biosecurity systems on their farms.
Highlights
In 2004–2005, outbreaks of avian influenza were reported in eight countries in the Southeast and Eastern Asian regions, namely, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam
Poultry farms with weak biosecurity systems were susceptible to outbreaks [2,3,4,5,6]
In 2006, there was an avian influenza outbreak in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeastern region of Thailand adjacent to Laos with the Mekong River serving as a natural border
Summary
In 2004–2005, outbreaks of avian influenza were reported in eight countries in the Southeast and Eastern Asian regions, namely, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Poultry farms with weak biosecurity systems were susceptible to outbreaks [2,3,4,5,6]. In 2006, there was an avian influenza outbreak in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeastern region of Thailand adjacent to Laos with the Mekong River serving as a natural border. At the time of the outbreak, the Department of Livestock Development, which oversees livestock issues in Thailand, asked the Nakhon Phanom Livestock Development officials to destroy all of the chicken eggs belonging to the layer chicken clusters in compliance with the policy for disease prevention and control. The province and provincial livestock development officials visited the farms to offer assistance in establishing clusters in the form of cooperatives to develop poultry farming and biosecurity systems on the farms [7]. The government’s policy for poultry destruction damaged the relationships between the livestock development officials and the poultry farmers
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