Control Of Poultry Diseases Research Articles

Multi-omics analysis reveals regime shifts in the gastrointestinal ecosystem in chickens following anticoccidial vaccination and Eimeria tenella challenge.

Coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria parasites, significantly impacts poultry farm economics and animal welfare. Beyond its direct impact on health, Eimeria infection disrupts enteric microbial populations leading to dysbiosis and increases vulnerability to secondary diseases such as necrotic enteritis, caused by Clostridium perfringens. The impact of Eimeria infection or anticoccidial vaccination on host gastrointestinal phenotypes and enteric microbiota remains understudied. In this study, the metabolomic profiles and microbiota composition of chicken caecal tissue and contents were evaluated concurrently during a controlled experimental vaccination and challenge trial. Cobb500 broilers were vaccinated with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-vectored anticoccidial vaccine and challenged with 15,000 Eimeria tenella oocysts. Assessment of caecal pathology and quantification of parasite load revealed correlations with alterations to caecal microbiota and caecal metabolome linked to infection and vaccination status. Infection heightened microbiota richness with increases in potentially pathogenic species, while vaccination elevated beneficial Bifidobacterium. Using a multi-omics factor analysis, data on caecal microbiota and metabolome were integrated and distinct profiles for healthy, infected, and recovering chickens were identified. Healthy and recovering chickens exhibited higher vitamin B metabolism linked to short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, whereas essential amino acid and cell membrane lipid metabolisms were prominent in infected and vaccinated chickens. Notably, vaccinated chickens showed distinct metabolites related to the enrichment of sphingolipids, important components of nerve cells and cell membranes. Our integrated multi-omics model revealed latent biomarkers indicative of vaccination and infection status, offering potential tools for diagnosing infection, monitoring vaccination efficacy, and guiding the development of novel treatments or controls.IMPORTANCEAdvances in anticoccidial vaccines have garnered significant attention in poultry health management. However, the intricacies of vaccine-induced alterations in the chicken gut microbiome and its subsequent impact on host metabolism remain inadequately explored. This study delves into the metabolic and microbiotic shifts in chickens post-vaccination, employing a multi-omics integration analysis. Our findings highlight a notable synergy between the microbiome composition and host-microbe interacted metabolic pathways in vaccinated chickens, differentiating them from infected or non-vaccinated cohorts. These insights pave the way for more targeted and efficient approaches in poultry disease control, enhancing both the efficacy of vaccines and the overall health of poultry populations.

Virus-like particles in poultry disease: an approach to effective and safe vaccination.

The poultry industry, a cornerstone of global food security, faces dynamic challenges exacerbated by viral diseases. This review traces the trajectory of poultry vaccination, evolving from traditional methods to the forefront of innovation Virus-Like Particle (VLP) vaccines. Vaccination has been pivotal in disease control, but traditional vaccines exhibit some limitations. This review examines the emergence of VLPs as a game-changer in poultry vaccination. VLPs, mimicking viruses without replication, offer a safer, targeted alternative with enhanced immunogenicity. The narrative encompasses VLP design principles, production methods, immunogenicity, and efficacy against major poultry viruses. Challenges and prospects are explored, presenting VLP vaccines as a transformative technique in poultry disease control. Understanding their potential empowers industry stakeholders to navigate poultry health management with precision, promising improved welfare, reduced economic losses, and heightened food safety.

Poultry health constraints in smallholder village poultry systems in Northern Ghana and Central Tanzania.

Smallholder poultry production is a major contributor to food security and rural livelihoods in low-and middle-income countries. However, infectious diseases limit improvements to smallholder poultry production and performance of the sector in general. Infectious diseases of poultry, especially viral diseases, have major impacts on the health and productivity of flocks and account for significant morbidities and mortalities of birds each year. This study utilized participatory epidemiology approaches to better understand the poultry health constraints and challenges faced by smallholder poultry producers in village poultry systems in Northern Ghana and Central Tanzania. The results show dominance of small-scale semi-intensive and extensive scavenging poultry production systems in the study areas. Newcastle disease ranked as the highest cause of morbidity and mortality in chickens in the two countries. The disease occurred mainly during the months coinciding with the dry season in both countries. Other health challenges among poultry flocks included worm infestation, fowl pox, coryza, and coccidiosis. Producers, especially in rural locations, had poor access to veterinary services and critical inputs necessary for poultry production. In the Northern region of Ghana, producers lacked definitive diagnoses for sick poultry due to a shortage of veterinary personnel and diagnostic laboratories. These challenges point to the need for increased investment in poultry disease control and prevention programs, particularly in rural areas. Interventions focused on expansion of veterinary and agricultural extension services and diagnostic laboratory capacity in rural areas and increased gender-sensitive training to enhance smallholder knowledge in poultry husbandry and disease prevention measures will support the development of the smallholder village poultry systems. Tapping into the diverse genetic reservoir of local chicken ecotypes with enhanced resistance to Newcastle disease through genomic selection, coupled with models for enhancing ND vaccination supply and use in the rural areas are potential future avenues for addressing ND constraints to production.

Review of Poultry Recombinant Vector Vaccines.

The control of poultry diseases has relied heavily on the use of many live and inactivated vaccines. However, over the last 30 yr, recombinant DNA technology has been used to generate many novel poultry vaccines. Fowlpox virus and turkey herpesvirus are the two main vectors currently used to construct recombinant vaccines for poultry. With the use of these two vectors, more than 15 recombinant viral vector vaccines against Newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bursal disease, avian influenza, and Mycoplasma gallisepticum have been developed and are commercially available. This review focuses on current knowledge about the safety and efficacy of recombinant viral vectored vaccines and the mechanisms by which they facilitate the control of multiple diseases. Additionally, the development of new recombinant vaccines with novel vectors will be briefly discussed.

Ethnoveterinary Remedies Used in Avian Complementary Medicine in Selected Communal Areas in Zimbabwe.

Plant remedies used in avian ethnomedicine are potential candidates for the development of phytogenic feed additives. An ethnoveterinary survey was carried out in 3 districts in Zimbabwe to document plants used in poultry ethnomedicine and identify plants that have the potential to be used for the development of poultry phytogenic feed additives. The survey employed questionnaire-guided oral interviews with 146smallholder farmers. Key areas of investigation and discussion were poultry production and traditional knowledge in bird health care (ethnotreatments and poultry disease control). The survey documented a total of 36 plant species cited as being useful interventions for the treatment and management of various poultry ailments/health constraints. These medicinal plants belonged to 22 families, with the Fabaceae family the dominant family. The plant species were used to treat 11 disease/health constraint categories, with the highest number of species being used for coccidiosis. Trees (44.44%) were the main reservoir of medicinal plants followed by herbs (36.11%), shrubs (8.33%), climbers (8.33%), and flowers (2.78%). Based on the results of the survey, Bobgunnia madagascariensis, Aloe chabaudii, Adenia gummifera, Erythrina abyssinica, Agave sisalana, Capsicum frutescens, Strychnos cocculoides, Aloe greatheadii, Tridactyle bicaudata, Senna singueana, Sarcostemma viminale, Morus alba, and Moringa oleifera are potential candidates for the development of phytogenic feed additives.

Protective efficacy of inactivated Newcastle disease virus vaccines prepared in two different oil-based adjuvants

Despite the availability of Newcastle disease (ND) vaccines for more than six decades, disease outbreaks continue to occur with huge economic consequences to the global poultry industry. The aim of this study is to develop a safe and effective inactivated vaccine based on a recently isolated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain IBS025/13 and evaluate its protective efficacy in chicken following challenge with a highly virulent genotype VII isolate. Firstly, high titre of IBS025/13 was exposed to various concentrations of binary ethylenimine (BEI) to determine the optimal conditions for complete inactivation of the virus. The inactivated virus was then prepared in form of a stable water-in-oil emulsion of black seed oil (BSO) or Freund’s incomplete adjuvant (FIA) and used as vaccines in specific pathogen-free chicken. Efficacy of various vaccine preparations was also evaluated based on the ability of the vaccine to protect against clinical disease, mortality and virus shedding following challenge with highly virulent genotype\\VII NDV isolate. The results indicate that exposure of NDV IBS025/13 to 10 mM of BEI for 21 h at 37 °C could completely inactivate the virus without tempering with the structural integrity of the viral hemagglutin-neuraminidase protein. More so, the inactivated vaccines adjuvanted with either BSO- or FIA-induced high hemagglutination inhibition antibody titre that protected the vaccinated birds against clinical disease and in some cases virus shedding, especially when used together with live attenuated vaccines. Thus, genotype VII-based NDV-inactivated vaccines formulated in BSO could substantially improve poultry disease control particularly when combined with live attenuated vaccines.

The Role of Agricultural Radio Programs in the Adoption of Agricultural Technologies among Famers in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

The study examined the role of agricultural radio programs in the adoption of agricultural production technologies among farmers in Girei Local Government of Adamawa State. Primary data was used for the study and were collected from a random selection of 113 farmers in ten villages randomly selected for the study. The data were analyzed using both descriptive (frequency counts, percentages and means) and inferential statistics (multiple regression analysis). Results show that most of the respondents were male (69.9%), had some levels of formal education (61.1%) and with an average age of 34 years. Many of the respondents were aware of agricultural programs aired on radio in the area, especially agricultural programs aired on Gotel FM (80.5%) and Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation (63.7%). The common agricultural programmes aired on radio among others include producing marketing (89.4%), fish production (77.9%), poultry disease control (77.7%) and planting methods (70.8%). On the information needs of the farmers, the study identified mostly crop production-related information needs as the one most needed by the farmers. On the factors responsible for the adoption of agricultural technologies aired on radio, the study identified the age of the farmers (x1), education (x2), farm size (x5) and radio ownership (x10) as significantly influencing the adoption of agricultural production technologies aired on radio in the area. The study recommended the need for farmers to have some level of formal education to enable them to make better use of any technology aired on radio and that the radio stations should give more slots to agricultural programs so as to create awareness for farmers.

Meeting Report: Global Alliance for Research on Avian Diseases 2018, International Conference, January 17 to 19, 2018, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Poultry production is one of the fastest growing sectors of the livestock industry, growing at a rate of around 5% per year (2015-16) to meet the global demands and food security, as shown by European Union Open Data Portal. One of the major challenges for the sustainable growth of this sector comes from the plethora of diseases, including viral diseases, which have devastating effects on productivity. With a significant growth in poultry production in Asia, South America, and Africa, most of the disease challenges are in these regions. Because of the global nature of these diseases, it is of vital importance to work collaboratively to generate effective mitigation opportunities via innovative strategies. In the spirit of this international collaboration, the second International Conference of the Global Alliance for Research on Avian Diseases (GARAD) was held from January 17 to January 19, 2018, in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference, attended by over 150 delegates from academia, poultry breeding/farming, and the pharmaceutic industry, discussed the major challenges and research advances related to the control of poultry diseases. The topics reviewed included the continuous threat from avian influenza and its antigenic shifts/drifts, the risks of disease transmission within and from live bird markets, the challenges from antigenic diversity of other avian viruses, innovative approaches for poultry vaccine development, and the potential opportunities to introduce genetic resistance to infectious agents through novel gene editing techniques. In separate interactive sessions, delegates actively debated the challenges, priorities, and opportunities for academia in driving avian disease research, the importance of developing improved disease measures by industry, and the contribution by the farming sector in the low- and middle-income countries.

A clinical survey of common avian infectious diseases in China.

Multiple common avian infectious diseases (CAIDs), namely, avian infectious diseases excluding highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease, such as avian salmonellosis and coccidiosis, cause huge economic loss in poultry production and are of great significance in public health. However, they are usually not covered in the systems for reporting of animal diseases. Consequently, the distribution of CAIDs is not clear in many countries. Here, we report a clinical survey of CAIDs in China based on clinical diagnosis of eight veterinary clinics in 2011 and 2012. This survey provided the distribution data of viral, bacterial, and parasitic CAIDs in different types of avian flocks, seasons, and regions, data that are of great value in the research, prevention, and control of poultry diseases. This survey suggested that avian colibacillosis, infectious serositis in ducks caused by Riemerella anatipestifer, avian salmonellosis, fowl cholera, avian mycoplasmosis, avian aspergillosis, coccidiosis, low pathogenic avian influenza, infectious bronchitis, infectious bursal disease, and infectious laryngotracheitis are likely to be prevalent in the poultry in China.

Using participatory epidemiological techniques to establish rural based poultry disease profiles: practical field experience in the Jos Plateau, Nigeria

The productivity and health status of household poultry are under continuous challenges from endemic, emerging and re-emerging diseases in many developing countries. A key success to efficient rural poultry disease control is to harness both current disease status and farmer's knowledge. Participatory disease surveillance is a re-emerging epidemiology concept that is practically based and gives local farmers a greater role in shaping identified health and production programs. The concept involves open communication and transfer of knowledge by applying a toolkit of methods guided by some key concepts and attitudes to establish current health and production status and to identify best policy intervention strategies. Surveys from a total of 90 villages with a focus group discussion involving at least 15 participants, were conducted. The profiling tools used in the study included relative incidence scoring, disease impact matrix scoring and visualization techniques while probing was used to check responses. Matrix scoring indicated Newcastle disease (ND) as the most important disease of poultry. ND, ectoparasitism and fowl pox were the most prevalent poultry diseases. Farmers in this region possess rich indigenous veterinary knowledge but lack access to modern veterinary facilities. The economic impacts of these poultry diseases are significantly high. Participatory disease surveillance has made tremendous contributions towards controlling livestock diseases and is now a global concept that needs to be fully adapted in Nigeria and other developing countries. This paper reviews the principal methodology of participatory epidemiology and highlights feedbacks from a field research in the Jos Plateau, Nigeria.

In-ovo evaluation of the antiviral activity of methanolic root-bark extract of the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata Lin )

Application of ethnoveterinary medicine in the control of poultry diseases is being embraced in many parts of the world for more profitable production. This study investigated the antiviral property of the root-bark extract of the African Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata Lin) against Newcastle disease virus. One hundred and seventy five specific antibody negative embryonated chicken eggs and a field strain of Newcastle disease virus were used to test for the antiviral activity of the methanolic root bark extract of the tree. Following a 2-h exposure of the virus to eight graded concentrations of the extract, it was incubated at 37°C and observed 12-hourly for mortality. Dead embryos were spot tested for haemagglutinating activity. The 100EID 50 concentration of the virus and the highest concentration of the extract were inoculated as positive and negative controls, respectively. All eggs inoculated with the virus alone as well as 5 and 2 mg/ml extract/virus suspensions, died by 72 h post inoculation, while no mortality was observed amongst those inoculated with 250 and 200 mg/ml virus/extract suspensions as well as those inoculated with the pure extract. Mortalities of 40, 40 and 20%, due to viral activity were recorded for 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml suspensions, respectively. This study showed that methanolic rootbark extract of A. digitata has antiviral activity against Newcastle disease virus in ovo , particularly when used at dose rates of 200 and 250 mg/ml.

Force moulting and bio-security: effective techniques for continuous protein intake and poultry disease control in developing countries.

The low level of protein intake in developing countries is of great concern as it affects physical and intellectual development as well as immunity against diseases. But the potential of the egg industry in reversing inadequate protein intake had been recognized as laying birds contribute substantially to annual egg and meat production which assist in the maintenance of protein consumption especially by poor families. This noble opportunity for obtaining ‘cheap’ protein had been faced with several challenges including the natural moulting of birds and frequent outbreakof diseases in poultry farms in developing countries. Moulting usually result in the shedding of the birds feathers and drastic reduction in egg production and quality. The frequent outbreak of diseases in most farms in developing countries had constantly resulted in reduced productivity, higher cost of egg and poultry meat, partial or total lost of investment and general reduction of protein consumption. Of major concern are the high percentage of culled layers after first year laying and the re-occurrence of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) which need urgent solution to avert the total collapse of the egg industry whose eggs and meat are normally rejected during such outbreaks. This review therefore concluded and recommended that since force-moulting is a natural phenomenonwhich must occur, an established technique such as force-moulting should be practiced by all poultry farmers, especially in developing countries as this will sustain productivity, reduce cost of production, lower cost of eggs and meat and subsequently increase animal protein intake. An adequate and conscious bio-security plan for poultry farmers will reduce the incidence of diseases, increase productivity of the industry and eventually reduce poverty.

Continuing education in the prevention and control of HPAI: a case study on Indonesia

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 is now endemic in large parts of Indonesia and this situation has revealed, among other constraints, a lack of human resource capacity in many institutions especially in terms of understanding of, and experience in, the control of poultry diseases. Cost-efficient prevention and control of HPAI must be built on a sustainable poultry health programme that incorporates collaborative research and development activities involving the public and private sectors. The programme should provide appropriate education, communication and services to: all poultry producers, workers and traders; community animal health workers; field veterinarians, livestock officers and extension workers; and senior-decision makers at national, provincial and district levels. Lessons learnt in the production of effective education and communication materials that are readily accessible to each target audience are described.

History of biological control of poultry diseases in the USA.

Reflection on the control of poultry diseases in the United States brings to mind the extensive cooperative forces that were brought to bear to promote the growth of the poultry industry, which provides our nation with an inexpensive source of protein and aids in feeding people around the world. That cooperative spirit radiated from the Agricultural Experiment Stations at the land grant colleges, worked in close association with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it did not exclude the help and expertise of the commercial vaccineproducing laboratories. Poultry rearing became widespread in the United States in the latter part of the 19th century. Increased demand for chicks resulted in the development of artificial incubation of eggs and along with it the dissemination of a disease referred to as bacillary white diarrhea (BWD). The cause of the disease was discovered by Rettger (17) in 1899 and became classified as Salmonella pullorum, hence the name pullorum disease. The poultry men looked to the scientific personnel of the experiment stations to resolve the problem of the high chick mortality. It was discovered that this was an egg-transmitted infection, and the secret of its control was identification of the infected layers and elimination of such layers from the flock. The search for a biological test to identify the carrier birds in a flock was initiated at several experiment stations. The first major biological control for poultry diseases took the form of a tube agglutination test, developed by Jones (14) in 1913 for the detection of carriers of S. pullorum. This test set the stage for future developments.

Effect of Industrial Infrastructure, Nature of Disease and Animal Demographics on Surveillance Strategies in Poultry

The surveillance and control of poultry diseases in the Nordic countries present a long and to a large degree successful story which places the Nordic countries in a position as being largely free of most of the serious poultry diseases that constitutes a menace and an obstacle to effective and economically viable poultry production world-wide. The surveillance and control of zoonotic agents in poultry equally place the Nordic countries in a category of its own. The achievements obtained within this area have provided the industry with an advantageous position on the domestic and export markets, in particular in relation to the EU where Finland and Sweden have been able to maintain special status and guarantees for imported poultry products. The control strategy adopted for both statutory poultry diseases and zoonotic pathogens in Nordic poultry production has from the very beginning been based on surveillance and stamping-out of infected flocks while vaccination strategies never have been adopted to a significant effect. In terms of biosecurity, the geographical location of Nordic poultry production with a climate necessitating indoor production in closed units probably has provided the Nordic countries with an advantage compared to production in warmer climates with open-house production facilities. In the paper, the disease situation with reference to statutory poultry diseases and zoonotic agents in each of the Nordic countries is reviewed, the organisation of control programmes described, and sampling and testing procedures presented and discussed.

Nunc Dimittis

Emilio C. Mora, Professor of Poultry Science at Auburn University, passed away October 18, 1994, after open-heart surgery. Mora had been associated with the Poultry Science Department since 1958 in the field of microbiology and poultry health. He had retired in August 1994, after 36 yr of teaching and research.Mora was a native of New Mexico. He received his B.S. in 1951 from the University of New Mexico, M.S. in 1954 from New Mexico State University, and Ph.D. in 1958 from Kansas State University.During his career at Auburn, he made significant contributions to the graduate teaching programs of the department, college, and university. He developed the first Electron Microscopy Laboratory at Auburn University, and remained its director until his retirement.Mora had a longstanding interest in the use of natural products for the control of poultry diseases as well as possible applications in human health. At the time …

Recombinant fowlpox virus vaccines for poultry.

SummaryThe intensive poultry industries rely heavily upon the use of vaccines for disease control. Viral vector based vaccines offer new avenues for the development of vaccines for effective disease control in poultry. Techniques developed for the construction of recombinant vaccinia viruses have been readily adapted to the construction of recombinant viruses based on fowlpox virus (rFPV). The ability to insert several genes into the large genome of fowlpox may enable the development of multivalent vaccines and vaccines incorporating immune response modifiers such as lymphokines. Newcastle disease, avian influenza, infectious bursal disease and Marek's disease antigens expressed by rFPV have been shown to be effective vaccines in poultry. None appear, however, to provide a substantial improvement in vaccine efficacy. Recombinant FPV will be a valuable adjunct to conventional vaccines currently in widespread use. Whether rFPV or other vector based vaccines can circumvent the problems of vaccination in the presence of high maternally derived antibodies is yet to be resolved. The observation that avipoxvirus recombinants may be suitable for the vaccination of non‐avian species provides an added dimension to vaccines based on FPV or other avipoxviruses. Recombinant FPV will find a useful role in poultry disease control when used in conjunction with conventional vaccines.

Control of poultry diseases in Asia by vaccination

The control of important poultry diseases in Asia is described, with the emphasis on vaccines, vaccination programmes and procedures. In most Asian countries there is routine vaccination for Newcastle disease, Marek's disease, infectious bronchitis, infectious avian encephalomyelitis, fowl pox and fowl cholera. However, depending on local conditions, programmes and procedures may differ from one country to another, or even from one farm to another within the same country. While some of the vaccines used are manufactured within the countries of the region, a large number are imported. India is the only Asian country that is self-sufficient in vaccine production.

Prof. W.J. Roepke: Forty year link between science and practice.

Having dedicated forty years of his life to raising poultry health care in the Netherlands to a high s tandard, the Nestor of the Dutch poultry veterinarians, Prof. W. J. Roepke has decided to retire and to enjoy a well-deserved rest. Walter Johann Roepke was born on June 6th, 1917 in Salatiga in the former Dutch East Indies. He passed his high school examinat ions at Wageningen, where his father Dr. W. K. J. Roepke was professor in genetics at the University of Agriculture. His great interest in biological sciences lead to his decision to study veterinary mcdicine at the State University of Utrecht, where he graduated in 1942. After his graduation, he worked in several institutes of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His schooling in zootechnical sciences under Prof. Dr. Van der Plank and in pathology under Prof. Dr. Schornagel was an excellent basis for the pioneers task which he set himself in 1944: the realisation of field-orientated control of poultry diseases based upon the results of intensive research.

Incidence and control of poultry diseases in Central and South America

Investigation of the incidence of Poultry disease in Central and South America yielded the following order of frequency and/or importance: 1)Newcastle Disease 2)Infectious Bursal Disease 3) Chronic Respiratory Disease 4) Avian Infectious Bronchitis, Coccidiosis (tie) 5) Mycoplasmosis, Mycotic related disease (tie) 6) Infectious Coryza 7) Salmonellosis 8) Marek's Disease, Internal Parasites (tie). Methods for prevention and/or control of most of these reported poultry diseases are available in most countries surveyed. Their incidence may therefore be due to inadequate implementation of these preventative and/or control methods. Vaccines for Newcastle Disease, Avian Infectious Bronchitis, and Marek's Disease are available in all surveyed countries. However, their incidence remains a significant economic problem. Vaccines for Infectious Bursal Disease and Infectious Coryza are available in some countries but are also needed in some countries that have not approved their use. There are vaccines available for the control of Coccidiosis, Mycoplasmosis and Salmonellosis in a limited number of countries but there may be better alternatives for their prevention and/or control. Medications for the prevention of Coccidiosis, mycotic-related diseases and internal parasites are widely available and approved for use by the countries surveyed. However, their incidence persists at a recognizable level. Medications for the treatment of Coccidiosis, Mycoplasmosis, mycotic-related diseases, Infectious Coryza, Salmonellosis and internal parasites are also widely available but alternatives for prevention of these diseases are desirable. Prevention by security management, sanitation, isolation, and, in some cases, eradication is theoretically possible for most of the reported diseases. However, the economic conditions of the involved countries limits the practical applications of some of these preventative methods.