Broiler Chicken Flocks Research Articles

Characterization of full genome sequences of chicken anemia viruses circulating in Egypt reveals distinct genetic diversity and evidence of recombination

Chicken anemia virus (CAV) is one of the commercially important diseases of poultry worldwide. In Egypt, CAV has been reported to be a potential threat to the commercial poultry sectors. Hence, this study was aimed at isolation and full genomic analysis of CAVs circulating in chicken populations in different geographical location in Egypt. A total of 42 samples were collected from broiler chicken flocks in 9 governorates in Egypt from 12 to 42 days of age. The mortality rate observed among chickens was ranging from 3% to 22%. Nineteen out of 42 farms were found positive for the CAV genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Full genome sequencing was conducted for 18 positive samples. Genetic analysis revealed a high similarity of >99% in 11 viruses with the vaccine strain Del-Ros; while the other seven samples shared close similarity to CAV field strains isolated from China, Taiwan, and Brazil. The data also indicated Q139 and Q144 amino acids substitutions among the VP1 of Egyptian field strains, which are known to be important in virus replication and spread. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced viruses (n = 18) based on either the full gene nucleotide sequence or VP1 coding sequence, suggested the circulation of four distinct genotypes in Egypt designated as group A, B, C and D. Moreover, evidence of recombination was detected among four Egyptian CAVs located within group A. The findings of this study succeeded to elucidate the epidemiological and genetic features of CAVs circulating in Egypt, and underscores the important of CAVs surveillance.

DETECTION OF BIOFILM FORMATION AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE OF SALMONELLA IN BROILER CHICKEN

Two hundred fifty samples from different broiler chicken flocks were subjected for isolation of salmonella species (2017-2018). The percentage for isolated Salmonella was 14.4% (36/250). The obtained Salmonlla strains were obtained (Salmonella bardo, Salmonella norwich, Salmonella brancaster, Salmonella sekondi Π, Salmonella lamberhurst, Salmonella belgdam, Salmonella kentucky, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella goetebory, Salmonella kisii, Salmonella nigeria, Salmonella grampian, Salmonella newport, Salmonella noyo, Salmonella colindale, Salmonella seremban, Salmonella remo, Salmonella lindenburg, Salmonella a natum, Salmonella virchow, Salmonella tamiland, Salmonella york. In vitro antimicrobial sensitivity testing carried out on isolated salmonella strains revealed different antimicrobial resistance variation, high resistance rate were observed with lomefloxacin (77.7%), tetracycline (61%), kanamcin (50%) and trimethoprime and levofloxacin (47.2%). Also strains were subjected for detection of biofilm formation using glass tube test and detection of fimA gene was used for biofilm confirmation, 61.11% (22/36) of strains was having ability to produce biofilm, while 38.88 % (14/36) have no ability for biofilm production. Both positive and the negative biofilm formation of salmonella strains revealed the same degree of antibiotic resistance (100%). No great significance between biofilm formation, multidrug resistance and the intensity of clinical signs and postmortem lesions were observed, so no relation between biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance.

The influence of probiotic supplementation in broiler chickens on population and carcass contamination with Campylobacter spp. - Field study

Campylobacter spp. is a food-borne pathogen occurring all over the world. According to European Food Safety Authority, in Europe, in 2015 the number of recorded and confirmed cases of Campylobacter spp. infections in humans has reached approximately 230,000. Poultry and poultry meat are considered to be the main sources of human infection, which triggers the discussion about the possibility of imposing obligatory control of Campylobacter spp. population at the level of primary poultry production.Recently, the use of probiotics in poultry is considered as a very promising alternative that could reduce infection rate in broiler chickens with Campylobacter spp. Although, there were some approaches made in vivo, up to date, there were no studies that would evaluate those issues under field conditions.A study was carried out in order to determine the feasibility of reducing infection rate in broiler chickens with Campylobacter spp. raised at a commercial farm, by the addition of multispecies probiotic (Lavipan, JHJ, Poland) that composed of Lactococcus lactis, Carnobacterium divergens, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisae to the feed.Results of our study indicate that probiotic (Lavipan) added to a feed for broiler chickens was capable to reduce the extent of Campylobacter spp. invasion in the gastrointestinal tract of birds and, resultantly, to diminish contamination level in bird environment, which eventually contributed to the improved hygienic parameters of analyzed poultry carcasses. Additionally, this probiotic displayed promising immunomodulatory properties that may improve the effectiveness of the specific prophylaxis program applied in a flock of broiler chickens.

Molecular Characterization of H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Commercial Broiler Chickens in Egypt during 2014-2015

Avian influenza virus H9N2 is a panzootic pathogen that affects poultry causing mild to moderate respiratory distress but has been associated with high morbidity and considerable mortality. In this study, one hundred and twenty coloacal and tracheal swabs and organs (trachea, lung and spleen) were collected from broiler chicken flocks in 8 Egyptian governorates from summer 2014 to spring 2015. Results of RT-PCR revealed that 36 flocks were positive out of 120 flocks for H9N2 (30%) with seasonal distribution as follow: 0.8% in summer of 2014, 5.8% in Autumn of 2014, 19.2% in winter of 2014 and 4.1% in Spring of 2015. Sequencing of HA gene and phylogenetic analysis of 7 selected H9N2 isolates representative of different governorates indicated that all isolates belong to G1-like lineage and are closely related to other Middle East H9N2 isolates.

The relationship between measures of fear of humans and lameness in broiler chicken flocks

In the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for broilers, the touch test is included to assess the human–animal relationship in the flock. The test is designed to measure the animals’ fear of humans, assuming that broilers will withdraw from the observer if they are fearful. However, many broilers close to slaughter age have impaired walking ability, and the results from the touch test may thus be biased by lameness and poor leg health. As the touch test is currently being used in several countries to assess human–animal relationship in broilers, there is an urgent need to examine this potential relationship for a further validation of the test. In the present study, fear of humans was assessed in 50 randomly selected Norwegian broiler flocks, using the touch test as described in the Welfare Quality® protocol for ty broilers. Leg health was assessed by examining the gait of 150 random birds in each of the flocks, using a six-point gait score scale from 0 to 5. The coefficient for the relationship between touch test score and gait score was 0.034 (P<0.001), indicating that the animals express less fear as assessed by the touch test when the gait scores increase. This implies that the touch test may be confounded by impaired walking ability and therefore might be a suboptimal method of assessing fear of humans and human–animal relationship in broilers. In conclusion, the results from this study suggests that the touch test must be further validated in broilers and perhaps be replaced with a fear test that doesn’t rely on walking ability.

Broiler chicken carcasses and their associated abattoirs as a source of enterotoxigenic &lt;em&gt;Clostridium perfringens&lt;/em&gt;: Prevalence and critical steps for contamination

Clostridium perfringens ranks among the three most frequent bacterial pathogens causing human foodborne diseases in Canada, and poultry meat products are identified as a source of infection for humans. The objective of the current study was to estimate the proportion of broiler chicken flocks, carcasses and various environmental samples from critical locations of the slaughter plant positive for the presence of C. perfringens enterotoxin encoding gene (cpe). From the 16 visits conducted, 25% of the 79 flocks sampled, 10% of the 379 carcasses sampled and 5% of the 217 environmental samples collected were found positive for cpe. The proportion of cpe-positive carcasses was statistically different between surveyed plants, with 17.0% for one abattoir and 2.2% for the other. For the most contaminated plant, cpe-positive carcasses were identified at each step of the processing line, with prevalence varying between 10.0% and 25.0%, whereas this prevalence varied between 0% and 25.0% for the environmental surfaces sampled. Based on the results obtained, enterotoxigenic C. perfringens strains could potentially represent a risk for the consumer.

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English

Chronologic Analysis of Gross and Histologic Lesions Induced by Field Strains of FAdV-1, FAdV-8b, and FAdV-11 in Six-Week-Old Chickens.

Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) is a disease affecting broiler chicken flocks worldwide. Several serotypes of fowl adenovirus (FAdV) have been implicated in disease outbreaks, with and without immunosuppression as a predisposing factor. IBH usually occurs in flocks up to 30 days of age; it is seldom seen in older birds. The objective of this study was to determine whether the pathogenicity for older birds of three FAdV field strains, belonging to serotypes 1, 8b, and 11, in the absence of immunosuppressive factors, was akin to that for younger birds, and to establish an effective and economical disease model for assessing cross-protection between serotypes. To achieve this objective, the gross pathology, histopathology, and dissemination of virus were examined at multiple time points after inoculation of 6-wk-old, specific-pathogen-free chickens via intraperitoneal injection. Both FAdV-8b and FAdV-11 generated lesions typical of those associated with outbreaks of IBH, and they were shown to be primary pathogens. The presence and severity of hepatic lesions were used to define two disease stages: degeneration (1-5 days postinoculation) and convalescence (6-14 days postinoculation). During the degenerative stage, FAdV-8b was detected in the liver, kidney, and gizzard of most birds, whereas FAdV-11 was predominantly detected in the liver, and both viruses persisted in the gizzard into convalescence. The pathogenesis of two IBH-associated FAdV strains in 6-wk-old chickens confirms their high level of virulence and also provides an effective experimental model for investigation of cross-protection between FAdVs. It also demonstrates persistence of the virus in the gizzard long after infection, supporting the notion that it is a site of viral shedding.

Associations between animal welfare indicators and Campylobacter spp. in broiler chickens under commercial settings: A case study

Few studies have previously investigated how poor animal welfare might be associated with infection of zoonotic pathogens in humans. This paper assesses the predictive value of the presence of Campylobacter spp. in broiler chicken flocks when animal-based measures related to footpad dermatitis, hock burns, body lesions and arthritis are identified under commercial conditions (high density). The study population included 32 flocks analysed on farm and at slaughter, slaughtered between April and August 2008 in six different slaughter plants in Brittany, France. Welfare and health indicators are those indicated by the European legislation and sampling was carried out in the framework of the European baseline survey on the prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler chicken. Caecal contents, sampled both on farm and at slaughter, and carcass skin samples from the neck and breast at slaughter, were investigated for the presence of Campylobacter spp. Logistic models/classification trees were used to estimate the probability of the presence (or absence) of a specific foodborne pathogen in a flock based on specific animal-based measures (or combinations of measures) in order to study the potential relationship between welfare indicators and foodborne pathogen prevalence/incidence levels. On farm, flocks with more than 25% animals with severe lesions on between 25 and 50% of the footpad are predicted to be Campylobacter-positive whereas flocks where less than 13 individuals have arthritis are predicted to be Campylobacter-negative. The error rate on farm and at slaughter was 10 and 4% respectively indicating good predicting abilities. A poor welfare environment may result in stress, which reduces chicken immunocompetence making them more susceptible to Campylobacter spp. An infection with Campylobacter spp may lead to impaired defence and susceptibility to other pathogens which may result in greater intestinal excretion. Poor welfare and high growing rate lead to digestive troubles that lead to litter humidity. Litter humidity that, among other things, causes footpad dermatitis may also influence the horizontal transmission of the Campylobacter spp. infection due to the normal coprophagic behaviour of poultry. Reducing welfare problems by a better management of rearing conditions would not only improve broiler welfare, but it would also decrease the risks of Campylobacter contamination, of carcass condemnations and of economic loss for the poultry industry.

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Ontario smallholder chicken flocks.

Surveillance is an important component of an overall strategy to address antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food animals and the food chain. The poultry market has many points of entry into the Canadian food chain, and some production practices are underrepresented in terms of surveillance. For example, pathogen carriage and antimicrobial resistance surveillance data are limited in smallholder chicken flocks raised for slaughter at provincially inspected abattoirs. In Canada, antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolated from commercial broiler chicken flocks, slaughtered at federally inspected abattoirs, is monitored by the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS). The objective of this study was to establish baseline information of antimicrobial resistance presence in E.coli and Salmonella isolated from smallholder flocks in Ontario, utilizing CIPARS collection and isolation methodologies, and to compare findings with CIPARS federally inspected abattoir data from Ontario, Canada. Five chickens per flock were sampled from 205 smallholder flocks. Of 1,025 samples, the E.coli prevalence was 99% (1,022/1,025), and 47% (483/1,022) of positive E.coli isolates were resistant to one or more of the 14 antimicrobials. Furthermore, as compared to results reported for the CIPARS commercial flocks, E.coli isolates from smallholder flocks had significantly lower resistance prevalence to six of 14 individual antimicrobials. Recovery of E.coli did not differ between federally inspected and provincially inspected flocks. Salmonella prevalence at the bird level in smallholder flocks was 0.3% (3/1,025), significantly lower (p≪0.0001, 95% CI 0.080%-0.86%) than federally inspected commercial flocks. The overall differences found between the commercial and smallholder flocks may be explained by differences in poultry husbandry practices and hatchery sources.

Effect of EU electrical stunning conditions on breast meat quality of broiler chickens

Electrical stunning is still the main stunning method used worldwide in commercial poultry plants. The stunning procedures in water bath stunners affect both bird welfare and meat quality attributes. The European Union (EU) Council Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of the animal at the time of killing established the minimum current flow through an individual bird at a specified frequency to assure an effective stun that must last until the bird's death. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the application of different stunning current flows on the prevalence of hemorrhages (classified as 1 = no lesion, 2 = moderate, and 3 = severe lesion) and some quality traits (pHu, color, drip and cooking losses, and shear force) of chicken breast meat. A total of 12 flocks of broiler chickens, each equally divided into light, medium, and heavy sizes, was submitted either to the stunning condition usually adopted before the entry into force of the current EU regulation (90mA/bird, 400Hz) (OLD) or to that enforced by it (150mA/bird, 400Hz) (NEW). Overall, the prevalence of severe hemorrhages dramatically increased in the NEW group in comparison with the OLD one (55vs. 27%; P < 0.001) and particularly in heavy-sized birds (72vs. 25%; P < 0.001). In general, meat quality attributes were not affected by the stunning conditions with the exception of drip loss that resulted lower in NEW than OLD birds (1.01vs. 1.27; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the adoption of a higher current flow, as suggested by the EU regulation to protect animals at the time of killing, increases the prevalence of breast hemorrhages while maintaining meat quality traits with a possible beneficial effect on water holding capacity of fresh meat.

Antimicrobial use surveillance in broiler chicken flocks in Canada, 2013-2015.

There is a paucity of data on the reason for and the quantity of antimicrobials used in broiler chickens in Canada. To address this, the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) implemented surveillance of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in broiler chicken flocks in 2013. Shortly after this (2014), the poultry industry banned the preventive use of ceftiofur in broiler chickens. The objectives of this analysis were to describe antimicrobial use (AMU) in Canadian broiler chickens between 2013 and 2015 (n = 378 flocks), compare these results to other animal species in Canada, to highlight the utility of farm surveillance data to evaluate the impact of a policy change, and to explore how different antimicrobial use metrics might affect data interpretation and communication. The surveillance data indicated that the poultry industry policy resulted in lower antimicrobial use and resistance, and they successfully captured information on when, where, why, and how much antimicrobials were being used. The majority of antimicrobials were administered via the feed (95%). The relative frequency of antimicrobial classes used in broiler chickens differed from those used in swine or in food animal production in general. Coccidiostats were the most frequently used antimicrobial classes (53% of total kg). Excluding coccidiostats, the top three most frequently used antimicrobial classes were bacitracin (53% of flocks), virginiamycin (25%) and avilamycin (21%), mainly used for the prevention of necrotic enteritis. Depending on the AMU metric utilized, the relative rankings of the top antimicrobials changed; hence the choice of the AMU metric is an important consideration for any AMU reporting. When using milligrams/Population Correction Unit (mg/PCU) the top three antimicrobial classes used were bacitracins (76 mg/PCU), trimethoprim-sulfonamides (24 mg/PCU), and penicillins (15 mg/PCU), whereas when using a number of Defined Daily Doses in animals using Canadian standards /1,000 chicken-days at risk (nDDDvetCA/1,000 CD) the ranking was bacitracins (223 nDDDvetCA/1,000 CD), streptogramins (118 nDDDvetCA/1,000 CD), and trimethoprim-sulfonamides (87 nDDDvetCA/1,000 CD). The median animal treatment days in feed for one cycle (ATD/cycle) during the three-year study were 34 ATD/cycle; this was equal to the mean age of the flocks at pre-harvest sampling day (days at risk), indicating that the studied flocks except those that were raised without antibiotics and organic, were fed with medicated rations throughout the observation period. Overall, more than half (59%) of antimicrobials used in broiler chickens were in classes not used in human medicine, such as ionophores and chemical coccidiostats aimed to prevent coccidiosis. Compared to grower-finisher pigs and in production animal species (national sales data), the mg/PCU of antimicrobials used in broiler chickens was relatively lower. The findings of this paper highlighted the importance of farm-level AMU surveillance in measuring the impact of interventions to reduce antimicrobials in poultry.

Recurring Necrotic Enteritis Outbreaks in Commercial Broiler Chicken Flocks Strongly Influence Toxin Gene Carriage and Species Richness in the Resident Clostridium perfringens Population.

Extensive use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in food animals has been questioned due to the globally increasing problem of antibiotic resistance. For the poultry industry, digestive health management following AGP withdrawal in Europe has been a challenge, especially the control of necrotic enteritis. Much research work has focused on gut health in commercial broiler chicken husbandry. Understanding the behavior of Clostridium perfringens in its ecological niche, the poultry barn, is key to a sustainable and cost-effective production in the absence of AGPs. Using polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, we evaluated how the C. perfringens population evolved in drug-free commercial broiler chicken farms, either healthy or affected with recurring clinical necrotic enteritis outbreaks, over a 14-month period. We show that a high genotypic richness was associated with an increased risk of clinical necrotic enteritis. Also, necrotic enteritis-affected farms had a significant reduction of C. perfringens genotypic richness over time, an increase in the proportion of C. perfringens strains harboring the cpb2 gene, the netB gene, or both. Thus, necrotic enteritis occurrence is correlated with the presence of an initial highly diverse C. perfringens population, increasing the opportunity for the selective sweep of particularly virulent genotypes. Disease outbreaks also appear to largely influence the evolution of this bacterial species in poultry farms over time.

Epidemiological investigation of Mycoplasma Synoviae in native chicken breeds in China

BackgroudMycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae) is widely distributed around the world, and leads to serious economic losses in the world every year. Nevertheless, the incidence and epidemiology of M. synoviae infection in China have remained unclear.ResultsIn this study we demonstrate that over 9773 broiler chicken flocks in 16 Chinese provinces were affected by M. synoviae between 2010 and 2015. Our epidemiological study revealed that M. synoviae was widely prevalent in multi-aged Chinese native breeder chickens, and the prevalence of M. synoviae in embryos of breeders reached up to 16.29%. In addition, our data showed that chickens aged 14 days or younger carried simultaneously high levels of maternal antibody against M. synoviae and high M. synoviae infection (10%), and low M. synoviae antibody levels in breeders and high proportion of M. synoviae infection in embryos could increase the chances of incidence in the offspring. Finally, our results also indicated that 3- to 7-week-old chickens might be most the susceptible to M. synoviae and, therefore, might play a key role in the horizontal transmission of M. synoviae.ConclusionOur findings suggest that M. synoviae is widely circulating in Chinese native chickens, accordingly, effective control measures are urgently needed to control the spread.

Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Infectious Bronchitis Virus from Broiler Chickens, Egypt during 2014 -2016

In this study,surveillance on infectious bronchitis virus strains in 75 Egyptian broiler chicken flocks was performed using real-time RT-PCR at eight Governorates during 2014-2016. The birds in the selected flocks were suffering from respiratory and renal manifestations. The results of the present study showed that 31 (41%) samples were positive for IBV. All isolates were classified as variants using sequencing analysis of the obtained data and can be divided into 2 groups. Group I (variant) Egyptian IBV included isolates, EG-F728-1-2015-SP1, EG-F728-7-2015-SP1, EG-F862-3-2015-SP1, EG-F862-4-2015-SP1, EG-F888-2015-SP1, EG-F777-2015-SP1 and EG-F183-1-2016-SP1 which were very close to IBV-IS-1494-06 and had amino acid sequence identities between 87.5% to 96.2%. Group II (variant) Egyptian IBV included isolates, EG-F183-2-2016-SP1 and EG-F183-3-2016-SP1. These two IBV isolates were very close to IBV-IS/885 (variant 2) and they shared amino acid sequence identities from 92.3% to 97.1% with each other. In conclusion, different variants of IBV are present in broiler farms in high prevalence rate even in vaccinated flocks.

Early warning of footpad dermatitis and hockburn in broiler chicken flocks using optical flow, bodyweight and water consumption

Footpad dermatitis and hockburn are serious welfare and economic issues for the production of broiler (meat) chickens. The authors here describe the use of an inexpensive camera system that monitors...

Epidemiological, molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from chicken farms in Egypt

BackgroundSalmonella is one of major causes of foodborne outbreaks globally. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence, typing and antibiotic susceptibilities of Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from 41 broiler chicken farms located in Kafr El-Sheikh Province in Northern Egypt during 2014–2015. The clinical signs and mortalities were observed.ResultsIn total 615 clinical samples were collected from broiler flocks from different organs (liver, intestinal content and gall bladder). Salmonella infection was identified in 17 (41%) broiler chicken flocks and 67 Salmonella isolates were collected. Recovered isolates were serotyped as 58 (86.6%) S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, 6 (9%) S. enterica serovar Enteritidis and 3 (4.5%) were non-typable. The significant high mortality rate was observed only in 1-week-old chicks. sopE gene was detected in 92.5% of the isolates which indicating their ability to infect humans. All S. enterica serovar Enteritidis isolates were susceptible to all tested antimicrobials. The phenotypically resistant S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates against ampicillin, tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole and chloramphenicol were harbouring BlaTEM, (tetA and tetC), (sul1 and sul3) and (cat1 and floR), respectively. The sensitivity rate of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium to gentamycin, trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole and streptomycin were 100, 94.8, 89.7%, respectively. The silent streptomycin antimicrobial cassettes were detected in all Salmonella serovars. A class one integron (dfrA12, orfF and aadA2) was identified in three of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strains.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this study considered first report discussing the prevalence, genotyping, antibiotic susceptibility and public health significance of S. enterica serovars in broilers farms of different ages in Delta Egypt. Further studies are mandatory to verify the location of some resistance genes that are within or associated with the class one integron.

Molecular Identification of Beta-Lactamase-Producing Salmonella Enteritidis from Broiler Chickens

The present study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of multidrug resistant S. enteritidis in broiler chicken flocks (n=15)suffering from diarrhea during the period of 2015 in El-Beheira governorate. A total of 210 tissue swabs (liver, intestine, spleen and gall bladder) were aseptically collected, processed and plated onto XLD agar medium. Only five (2.4%) isolates were identified as Salmonella using conventional biochemical methods and PCR assay based on invA gene. Out of 5 Salmonella isolates, 4 (80%) were identified as S. enteritidis using PCR assay based on sefA gene.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that all isolates of S. enteritidis were multi-resistant to two or more antimicrobial agents. Resistance tosulfisoxazole was common across all isolates. Furthermore, two (50%) penicillin-resistant isolates were tested positive for blaTEM gene using PCR assay. In addition, β-lactamase activity of these isolates was assessed on penicillin-sensitive strain of S. aureus (ATCC29213). Sensitivity of S. aureus to penicillin was significantly decreased in the presence of beta-lactamase-producing S.enteritidis in comparison with control group. The current study necessitates further exploration of genetic elements related to antibiotic resistance and underlines the need to track the evolution of β-lactamases in S. entritidis isolates in Egypt.

Effect of Combined Clostridium perfringens Infection and Aflatoxicosis in Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACT: Necrotic enteritis causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry which is always increased in chickens exposed to feed contaminated with aflatoxins. So we had done this study to investigate the effect of C. perfringens on broiler chickens alone and in combination with aflatoxins compared with control negative group. A total of 106 samples (43 liver and 63 intestinal samples) collected from 38 flocks of diseased broiler chickens suffering from diarrhea were examined for C. perfringens isolation and revealed the presence of C. perfringens with percentage of 51.1 % and 80.9% in liver and intestine respectively with total percentage 66%. Aflatoxin was prepared at concentration 250 ppbkg ration. During the experiment we examined 100 commercial broiler chickens which were divided to four groups: control group (A), group (B), infected with C. Perfringens type A via oral gavages by inoculation of 1ml of 6x108cfu daily for 3 consecutive days [16th-17th –and 18th days of age], group fed aflatoxins at dose 250 ppb from the first day till 28 days old (C) and group both infected with C.perfringens and aflatoxin fed with the same doses mentioned before (D). Aflatoxin decreased gain and feed intake and resulted in increased mortality, higher lesion scores and increased liver and kidney functions. Inducing necrotic enteritis concurred with aflatoxicosis increased lesion scores and decreased feed intake and gain more than aflatoxin alone. The great intervals proved the severe negative impact of aflatoxin on broiler performance which increased a lot when complicated with clostridial infection.

Prevalence of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in Poland from 2010-2014.

This study investigated the prevalence of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) infections during the past five years (2010-2014) in broiler chicken flocks in Poland. The diagnosis of IBH was based on anatomopathological investigations and histopathological analyzes. IBH was the most prevalent disease in broiler flocks in Poland (10.4%) during this time period, and occurred as a primary infection. The fewest cases of IBH occurred in the summer, suggesting that the temperature may have been a possible stressor that increased susceptibility to IBH. However, over the last 5 years the occurrence of clinical IBH cases in Poland has systematically decreased.