The rapid intensification of the livestock sector in Southeast Asia has been found to be associated with an extensive and expanding use of antibiotics. This raises concerns regarding the rise of drug-resistant bacteria in both animals and humans. Data on veterinary antibiotic use (ABU) and antibiotic resistance (ABR) are scarce in Lao PDR, as in most low and middle-income countries. This study aimed to explore the views of small to medium-scale pig, poultry and fish producers regarding the use of antibiotics. A total of 364 farmers were surveyed using a questionnaire and farm visits. Patterns of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding ABU and ABR were explored with multiple factor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Farms were assigned to one of three clusters in which specific farmers’ views were overrepresented. Cluster 1 (in which pig farms were overrepresented) held a positive attitude regarding preventive measures and information about antibiotics. In cluster 2 (in which poultry farms were overrepresented), there was a view that antibiotics should be used for disease prevention. Finally, in cluster 3 (in which fish farms were overrepresented), knowledge about ABU and ABR was weak, and ABU was very limited. No specific attitude was under or overrepresented. Farmers mentioned that they were unfamiliar with antibiotics and were uncertain about details concerning ABR (such as whether or not to consume animal products just after they received antibiotic treatment). Farmers from cluster 3 who did not give antibiotics to their animal (90 out of 114) and did not use vaccines (100 out of 114) were overrepresented. A total of 65% (171/263) of the antibiotics found on farms were included on the World Health Organization’s list of critically important antibiotics for human medicine. These critically important antibiotics were mostly found in clusters 1 (57/168, i.e., 33.8% farms had at least one critically important antibiotic) and 2 (63/171, 36.8%). These findings indicate that antibiotic stewardship strategies should tackle the use of critical antibiotics as well prophylactic treatments to prevent antibiotic misuse in small and medium- livestock farms.

For the first time we built a correlative model for predicting the distribution of H. marginatum, one of the main vector of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), at high resolution in a recently colonized area, namely south of France. Field tick collections were conducted on horses from 2016 to 2021 in 14 French southern departments, which resulted in a first map of H. marginatum on the national territory. Such updated presence/absence data, as well as the mean number of H. marginatum per examined animal (mean parasitic load) as a proxy of the tick abundance, were correlated to multiple parameters that described the climate and habitats characterizing each collection site, as well as movements of horses as a possible source of tick diffusion and new establishment. Our model highlighted the importance of warm temperatures all along the year, as well as dry conditions during summer and moderate annual humidity for the establishment of H. marginatum. A predominance of open natural habitats in the environment was also identified as a supporting factor, in opposition to artificial and humid habitats that were determined as unsuitable. Based on this model, we predicted the current suitable areas for the establishment of the tick H. marginatum in South of France, with a relatively good accuracy using internal and external validation methods. Concerning tick abundance, some correlative relationships were similar than in the occurrence model but the type of horse movements were also pointed out as an important factor explaining the mean parasitic load, leading to differential exposure to ticks. The limitations of estimating and modelling H. marginatum abundance in a correlative model are discussed.