Community engagement strengthens pig disease knowledge and passive surveillance in Timor-Leste

Abstract

Smallholder pig production in Timor-Leste is culturally and economically important for most households. However, regular and ongoing disease surveillance and pig husbandry training for farmers are limited. This article describes collaborative social and diagnostic research followed by a pilot community engagement program to improve farmer and technician knowledge, skills, and working relationships. There were three phases: (1) A qualitative study in 2020 to explore the experiences and knowledge of 133 pig farmers, 6 village leaders, and 16 district veterinary technicians on pig diseases and reporting, treatment methods, and access to information or assistance. (2) A pilot community engagement program in 3 villages in 2021 with the diagnostic investigation with samples analyzed from 27 dead pigs, and (3) Evaluation of community engagement and training outcomes. Results of the qualitative study revealed limited reporting of sick or dead pigs by farmers to veterinary technicians due to a lack of trust in the veterinary diagnostic system. Most technicians lacked experience with sampling or post-mortems so diagnostic training was undertaken for the pilot disease investigation. Evaluation results showed improved knowledge, motivation, and confidence of government staff and farmers. The credibility of veterinary technicians improved and gave them more confidence to work with communities. Farmers felt supported because all aspects of pig husbandry were addressed, and they were more willing to report dead or sick pigs. The project indicates that improved passive disease surveillance can be achieved by engaging communities in smallholder pig farming in Timor-Leste. Further research and testing of the approach in other districts and countries is recommended.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella Species Isolates from Chickens in Live Bird Markets and Boot Swabs from Layer Farms in Timor-Leste

“…Antimicrobial resistance based on the DDT results for E. coli isolates from local chickens was lower than reported in other countries focusing on a similar target population of backyard chickens [55][56][57]. This could be due to the lack of access to government veterinary services in Timor-Leste [58], which is a common source of antimicrobials for most backyard farmers [17]. Similarly, antimicrobial resistance based on the DDT results for E. coli and Salmonella spp.…”

Stability of Genotube® Swabs for African Swine Fever Virus Detection Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal (LAMP) Laboratory Testing on Samples Stored without Refrigeration

“…Whilst the outcome of these localised outbreaks often results in significant mortality of pigs for an individual small pig holder, there may be insufficient resources for a formal disease investigation and diagnosis. Barriers to disease investigation can include a lack of trained technicians or veterinary staff to visit the affected pig holder, reluctance by or ignorance of the pig owner to contact animal health staff or lack of sampling equipment, cold chain storage or suitable transport or diagnostic facilities [ 5 , 34 , 35 ]. This can lead to a frustrating lack of information about the causes of pig mortalities experienced by smallholder pig owners, especially when the clinical presentation is not pathognomonic for a specific disease and there are several endemic diseases which could be differential diagnoses [ 34 ].…”

Innovative Research Offers New Hope for Managing African Swine Fever Better in Resource-Limited Smallholder Farming Settings: A Timely Update

“…Introducing new biosecurity routines that interfere with how community members interact with each other’s pigs, such as measures intended to minimise transmission of fomites (washing hands, changing, or disinfecting footwear), might raise social tensions similar to those described for confinement above [ 54 , 64 ]. Community-based actions have been suggested as a way to overcome these kinds of social tensions around changed biosecurity behaviour [ 13 , 51 , 56 , 115 , 116 ]. A study to determine the effectiveness of community-engaged participatory interventions against cysticercosis caused by the pig tapeworm Taenia solium in resource-limited village settings, which is notoriously difficult, as it involves personal cultural practices, reported successful outcomes in two out of three villages [ 117 ].…”

“…It is increasingly recognised that biosecurity measures need to be developed in partnership with the pig owners and other stakeholders in the value chain to ensure that they are financially feasible, culturally acceptable, and, thus, implemented [ 23 , 27 , 30 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]. The arrival of ASF in Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and, most recently, the Caribbean, has provided a new impetus for research that focuses on the specific circumstances and possibilities for pig keeping and disease management in the smallholder sector.…”