Evaluation of alternative strategies to prevent Newcastle disease in Cambodia

Velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease (vvNCD), which is endemic in Cambodia, can be prevented in theory by a combination of biosecurity and immunization of broiler flocks. The relative contribution of appropriate biosecurity and effective vaccination was quantified at the farm level, applying realistic projections for capital investment, fixed and variable production costs and losses following infection. Non-protected broiler flocks generate a loss when the probability of vvNCD infection exceeds 0.4. Applying both biosecurity and effective vaccination would sustain profitability up to a probability of exposure of 1.0. The benefit to cost ratios for alternative strategies were evaluated for a range of probabilities of exposure to vvNCD extending from 0.1 to 1.0. The benefit-to-cost ratio for biosecurity exceeded unity at a risk of exposure exceeding 0.1, and 0.2 for vaccination and the combination of vaccination and biosecurity respectively. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the efficiency of protection, feed cost, and financial consequences of infection markedly affected the projected benefit-to-cost ratios associated with alternative methods of prevention.