This study evaluated survival and growth of Cambodian field crickets (Teleogryllus testaceus) during captivity when fed a set of local weed species, agricultural and food industry by-products. Wild individuals were caught at two locations in Cambodia, kept in pens and fed commercial chicken feed until the second generation off-spring hatched. First larval stage nymphs from this generation were collected and used in a 70-day feeding trial with one control treatment (chicken feed) and 12 experimental treatments (rice bran, cassava plant tops, water spinach, spent grain, residue from mungbean sprout production, and Alternanthera sessilis, Amaranthus spinosus, Commelina benghalensis, Cleome rutidosperma, Cleome viscosa, Boerhavia diffusa and Synedrela nodiflora). The crickets were kept in plastic cages and feed intake, weight and survival of crickets were recorded weekly. Overall survival did not differ between chicken feed and the experimental treatments with the exception of crickets fed B. diffusa, which had lower survival. From day 35 to day 49, survival on A. sessilis was also lower (P<0.05) than on chicken feed. There was no difference in weight between crickets fed chicken feed, cassava tops and C. rutidosperma. However, crickets fed A. sessilis, A. spinosus and B. diffusa weighed less than those fed chicken feed already at day 21. The feed conversion rate ranged from 1.6 to 3.9 and was ≤1.9 in crickets fed chicken feed, cassava plant tops and C. rutidosperma. Thus this study shows that it is possible, using simple means, to rear Cambodian field crickets. Cassava plant tops and C. rutidosperma both have great potential as cricket feed and the other weeds, with the exception of A. sessilis, A. spinosus and B. diffusa, agricultural and food industry by-products tested, also showed potential.
Digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance studies were carried out on the leaves of short-term (ST) and long-term (LT) varieties of cassava, preserved by sun-drying and grinding into a meal or by ensiling. The cassava leaf meal and ensiled leaves (471 and 373 g/kg total diet dry matter, respectively) were mixed with palm syrup and palm oil, to give the experimental diets CLM and CLS, respectively. Four Mong Cai (MC) (17·2 (s.e. 2·61) kg) and four Landrace × Yorkshire (L×Y) (41·5 (s.e. 2·12) kg) male castrate pigs were used. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial, with breed, cassava variety and processing method as factors.The hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels of the fresh cassava leaves of ST (545 mg/kg dry matter (DM)) and LT (408 mg/kg DM) varieties were reduced by proportionately 0·63 and 0·33, respectively, after sun-drying and by 0·78 and 0·77, respectively, after ensiling. Intake was higher for DM, crude protein (CP) and organic matter (OM) (P < 0·001) and neutral- and aciddetergent fibre (NDF and ADF) and crude fibre (CF) (P <0·01) in CLM than in CLS. There was a breed by processing method interaction for CF intake (P < 0·05). The coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) was higher in CLS than in CLM for DM, CP, OM and CF (P < 0·001) and NDF and ADF (P < 0·01). The MC pigs digested ADF (P < 0·01) and CF (P < 0·001) more effectively than L×Y pigs but there was no difference (P > 0·05) in the digestibility of other nutrients or DM. There was a breed by cassava variety interaction for ADF digestibility and breed by processing method for CF digestibility (P < 0·01). Daily N intake and faecal N were higher (P < 0·001) in CLM than in CLS. Urinary N was lower in CLS than in CLM (P < 0·05) and in L×Y than in MC pigs (P < 0·001). N utilization (N retained per unit intake) was higher for CLS than CLM (P < 0·001) and in L×Y than in MC pigs (P < 0·001). It is concluded that ensiling is a more effective method than sun-drying for reducing HCN in cassava leaves after 60 days re-growth, and also results in higher digestibility of DM and dietary components than sun-drying. However, the bulkiness of the silage limits intake. The MC pigs digested dietary fibre more efficiently than the L×Y pigs, whereas the L×Y pigs utilized N more efficiently than the MC pigs.
Growing indigenous Cambodian chickens and ducks, and broiler chickens and White Pekin ducks were fed diets containing 0%, 7%, 14% and 20% of cassava leaf meal (CLM) to study the effects of CLM level on diet digestibility and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and organ development. The coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of dry matter (DM) and intake of digestible DM decreased with increased dietary CLM. DM and digestible DM intake was higher for local breeds than for the corresponding exotic breeds, and higher for ducks than for chickens (p < 0.001), although there were no species or breed effects on CTTAD of DM (p > 0.05). Weight of small intestine, caeca, gizzard and pancreas, expressed as per kg body weight, increased with increased CLM in the diet (p < 0.001). There was no consistent diet effect on liver weight. Length of small intestine and caeca, expressed on a mass-specific basis, increased with dietary CLM content (p < 0.001). When expressed as per kg body weight small intestine, proventriculus, gizzard, pancreas and liver weights, and small intestine length, were higher in ducks than in chickens (p < 0.001), and were higher in the indigenous than in the improved breeds (p < 0.01), except for small intestine weights, which were similar. However chickens had higher weight of caeca (p < 0.001) and colon (p < 0.01) in absolute units and per kg body weight.
IntroductionHuman influenza infection poses a serious public health threat in Cambodia, a country at risk for the emergence and spread of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Prior pandemics demonstrated the adverse impact of influenza on poor communities in developing countries. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution can inform decisions regarding resource mobilization and investment for pandemic mitigation.MethodsA health facility survey performed across Cambodia obtained data on availability of healthcare resources important for pandemic influenza response. Focusing on five key resources considered most necessary for treating severe influenza (inpatient beds, doctors, nurses, oseltamivir, and ventilators), resource distributions were analyzed at the Operational District (OD) and Province levels, refining data analysis from earlier studies. Resources were stratified by respondent type (hospital vs. District Health Office [DHO]). A summary index of distribution inequality was calculated using the Gini coefficient. Indices for local spatial autocorrelation were measured at the OD level using geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Finally, a potential link between socioeconomic status and resource distribution was explored by mapping resource densities against poverty rates.ResultsGini coefficient calculation revealed variable inequality in distribution of the five key resources at the Province and OD levels. A greater percentage of the population resides in areas of relative under-supply (28.5%) than over-supply (21.3%). Areas with more resources per capita showed significant clustering in central Cambodia while areas with fewer resources clustered in the northern and western provinces. Hospital-based inpatient beds, doctors, and nurses were most heavily concentrated in areas of the country with the lowest poverty rates; however, beds and nurses in Non-Hospital Medical Facilities (NHMF) showed increasing concentrations at higher levels of poverty.ConclusionsThere is considerable heterogeneity in healthcare resource distribution across Cambodia. Distribution mapping at the local level can inform policy decisions on where to stockpile resources in advance of and for reallocation in the event of a pandemic. These findings will be useful in determining future health resource investment, both for pandemic preparedness and for general health system strengthening, and provide a foundation for future analyses of equity in health services provision for pandemic mitigation planning in Cambodia.
BackgroundTaeniasis/cysticercosis, caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium, represents an important public health and economic burden in endemic countries. However, there is a paucity of data on infection among pigs in many parts of Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia. We aimed to estimate seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis, and investigate husbandary practices and knowledge of the disease among livestock workers, across different pig sector units in south-central Cambodia.MethodsA cross sectional survey was conducted among pig smallholders, commercial farms, slaughterhouses and traders/middlemen from south-central Cambodia, selected through multistage sampling in proportion to local pig populations sizes. Questionnaires were administered to 163 pig workers to obtain data pig production, trading and slaughtering practices. Sera from 620 pigs were tested for Taenia antigens using a commercial ELISA-based test. Associations between seroprevalence and pig husbandry practices were assessed using generalised linear mixed models, adjusting for random-effects at herd-level.ResultsOf 620 pigs sampled, 29 (4.7%) tested positive for Taenia antigens. Seropositivity was associated with type of pig sector unit (P = 0.008), with the highest seroprevalence among pigs sampled from traders/middlemen (16.7%; 95% CI: 4.4%–37.8%), smallholders (7.6%; 95% CI: 3.8%–14.1%) and slaughterhouses (4.1%; 95% CI: 2.0%–7.5%), while none of the pigs sampled from small/medium or large commercial farms tested positive. Although the vast majority of pigs were penned, practices that might facilitate human-to-pig transmission, such as use of household waste and surface water sources to feed pigs, were prevalent among smallholders. However these were not found to be significantly associated with infection. Of 163 interviewed pig workers, 115 (70.5%) were aware of porcine cysticercosis, and 78 (47.8%) also knew it could affect humans. Twenty-six (16.0%) reported having noticed lesions typical of cysticercosis in their pigs.ConclusionsDespite most pigs being kept confined in pens rather than raised in free-roaming systems, porcine cysticercosis appears to be endemic in south-central Cambodia and is associated with smallholder production. Further investigation is needed to identify which Taenia species are causing infections among pigs, and how seroprevalence and zoonotic risk may vary across the country, to understand the risks to public health and assess where interventions might be needed.
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