Bat Guano Farming and Zoonotic Disease Risk Reduction in Kang Meas District Cambodia _SEAOHUN 2024 International Conference

Bat guano, a valuable fertilizer, can transmit zoonotic diseases to animals and humans. In Cambodia, bat guano farming is a long-standing practice and alphacoronaviruses have been found in bat waste and on household surfaces. This may pose a health risk for bat guano producers (BGPs) and their neighbors (non-bat guano producers, or NBGPs). Women are particularly vulnerable because they do most of the guano collection with limited use of safety measures. The objective of this research was to explore ways that BGPs and NBGPs can protect themselves with feasible and acceptable practices that minimize bat-human contact and safeguard against zoonotic disease transmission.