The Omics revolution – Implications for animal production
What does Omics mean?
Omics is a term that refers to the recently developed high throughput technologies that include genomics, functional genomics (transcriptomics), proteomics, and...
A new view of how class I molecules fight diseases
Classical class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play crucial roles in defence against viruses.
The class I molecules bind pieces of protein...
Engineering vaccines for multiple strains of IBV
In new work funded by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) researchers at The Pirbright Institute and The Roslin Institute have published...
Avian reovirus, molecular characterization
Avian reovirus (ARV) is the main cause of viral arthritis and tenosynovitis in chickens and turkeys, triggering economic losses in the poultry industry due...
Comparing two ELISA kits
Here a comparison of two ELISA kits as been made to assess their efficicacy.
Recombinant turkey herpesvirus vaccines (rHVT) are being widely used for...
Major histocompatibility complex and genetic resistance to Infectious Bronchitis Virus
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is an endemic disease of chickens responsible for considerable economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. IBV replication leads to...
Gut health, intestinal innate immunity and performance
Gut health is a very important determinant for health and performance in particular in production animals. The intestinal innate immune system is pivotal in...
Study suggests H5N1 D1.1 circulated before its first detection in North America
By the time the H5N1 D1.1 genotype was first detected in the Pacific Flyway during the autumn of 2024, it had probably already been...
Testing day-old poults
When poults are received at a farm from the hatchery they should be good quality poults; namely, free from physical defects, actively looking for...
Clinical coccidiosis in broilers with concurrent infection of Eimeria maxima and Eimeria praecox
Coccidiosis is a complex disease in chickens caused by protozoan parasites in the genus Eimeria. As Eimeria species are ubiquitous in poultry facilities, coccidiosis...
Backyard poultry flocks Salmonella spp. seroprevalence
As backyard poultry grows as a hobby in the United States there is an increased worry that poultry will become infected with Salmonella spp....
The role of feed additives in the protozoal diseases in poultry
Coccidiosis and histomoniasis are economically significant diseases in chickens and turkeys. Management, vaccination and medication are key tools in the control of these diseases...
Adaptability of bird flu poses threat to poultry
New insights from a study of the 2016/17 bird flu outbreak show how highly pathogenic bird flu viruses – which are likely to cause...
Garlic allicin as a promising alternative to antibiotics in broilers
Introduction
The poultry industry is under increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use due to antimicrobial resistance and consumer demand for safer products. Garlic (Allium sativum)...
Newcastle disease virus evolution and control strategies
Newcastle disease virus is continuously evolving, and molecular techniques allow the classification of vaccine and field strains in numerous genotypes and subgenotypes, although a...
Pulsed ultraviolet light processing of eggs
In recent years, pulsed ultraviolet light has been shown to reduce microbial pathogens on the surface of shell eggs, crucial for maintaining good chick...
Infectious bursal disease viruses may swap genetic material during infection
Live cell imaging has been used by researchers at The Pirbright Institute to reveal new information about how different strains of infectious bursal disease virus...
Heat and drought put Europe’s poultry sector under pressure
Record temperatures and drought are adding pressure to Europe’s poultry sector, affecting bird welfare, farm productivity, water availability, feed costs and logistics. While EU...
Holistic view of intestinal health in poultry
Intestinal health is necessary to maintain efficient and sustainable gastrointestinal tract (GIT) physiology. The GIT has digestive, absorptive, metabolic, immunological and endocrinological functions.
This means...
Obtaining the most benefit from an anticoccidial sensitivity test
The poultry industry has been using the same anticoccidial drugs for the prevention of coccidiosis for several decades. The last approval of a new...
Gut health in layers
To some extent gut health has not been a focus of commercial pullet and layer flocks unless the problem contributed to a significant mortality...
On-farm control of campylobacter
Campylobacteriosis, primarily caused by the consumption of contaminated chicken products, accounts for the majority of food poisoning cases in Europe and many other developed...
Research Rules Out Possible Kinky Back Prevention
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., in which researchers...
Feeding the commercial turkey
Choosing the most effective feeding programme has never been more important given the unpredictability of the raw material market and lack of consistent supply...
Mycotoxins in turkeys
Toxin production requires the presence of a mould, a suitable substrate and a suitable environment. If a mould is present, toxin production is influenced...
Use of multiple strains of infectious bronchitis vaccines to induce protection against new IB...
USPOULTRY (www.uspoultry.org.) and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del., in which researchers found...
A new poultry research center at the University of Bristol
A state-of-the art poultry research centre offering specialist, industry-focused research into both laying hen and broiler health, welfare, behavior and productivity has recently been...
Improving birds’ health by refining their intestinal microbiota health and stability
Intestinal systems of living organisms are inhabited by a dense community of microorganisms dominated by bacteria but also containing archea, fungi, protozoa and viruses....
The importance of gut microbiota in chickens
Recent expansion in knowledge about the influence of microbiota on health and disease started a major research revolution in the area. Intestinal systems of...
Microbiota studies in poultry
The microbial populations that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of birds play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of a healthy gut....
Management of drinking water and vaccination procedures: a strategic pairing for effective immunization
Vaccination via drinking water is one of the cornerstones of modern poultry production and accounts for the majority of immunization procedures carried out during...
Bacterin usage
A good vaccination program, along with proper flock management and biosecurity, plays a key role in the health and productivity of broiler breeders. The...
Researchers develop method for making new types of vaccines
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens,...
Antimicrobial drug resistance in poultry. What do we know about risk factors?
There is an increasing amount of published surveillance and diagnostic submissions data, providing information on prevalence and trends of antimicrobial drug use and antimicrobial...
Rapid in vitro antimicrobial screening assay against Campylobacter
Research was undertaken to adapt a multi-well antimicrobial assay as a fast and reliable method to screen large numbers of plant extract treatments against...
Chicken study probes resistance to food bug
Receiving gut microbes from resistant chickens does not lessen chickens’ susceptibility to bacterium that causes food poisoning.
Susceptible chickens became even more susceptible to Campylobacter,...
Clostridial Dermatitis
Clostridial Dermatitis is a disease of economic concern in turkeys. Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium septicum have been isolated consistently from dermatitis lesions in turkeys....
UK Veterinary Vaccinology Network
Veterinary researchers from around the world came together at this year’s joint UK & International Veterinary Vaccinology Network Conference on the 9-10 January 2019...
A multidisciplinary research approach on Avian Influenza in Italy
The Avian Influenza epidemic of 2016-2017 had been the largest in Europe in more than 10 years. The circulating virus was a Highly Pathogenic...
Histopathological evaluation of Histomonas meleagridis on ceca and the bursa of Fabricius in turkeys
Histomoniasis is caused by Histomonas meleagridis, a flagellated protozoan parasite. It causes systemic infection in turkeys and induces characteristic lesions in ceca and liver....
Research provides new understanding of ILT vaccines
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, in which researchers...
Quality Control Audits of killed vaccination
Vaccination programs for breeders and egg layers include procedures with inactivated vaccines. Killed (inactivated) vaccines are used to prevent disease in the vaccinated bird...
Footpad dermatitis in market turkey hens. Bird density and bedding material relationships
Lameness
and poor footpad condition can be major issues for meat-type poultry resulting
in their decreased well-being and decreased productivity. A large body of
research exists for...
Detection and quantification of Gallibacterium anatis and Mycoplasma synoviae
Mycoplasma synoviae is one of the most common preconditions for secondary bacterial infections in poultry. It causes subclinical infections of the upper respiratory tract,...
NWO OTP grant awarded to WUR project aimed at head start for day-old chicks
The immune system of a chicken starts in the egg. Validated tools to assess how incubation conditions influence immune development are lacking. A new...
Holistic view of intestinal health in poultry
The intestinal health of poultry has broad implications for the systemic health of birds, animal welfare, the production efficiency of flocks, food safety, and...
Profiling Salmonella serotypes through broiler processing
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in which researchers profiled Salmonella serotypes through broiler processing.
The...
Development of Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the most pathogenic avian mycoplasma species. It affects commercial, non-commercial poultry and wild birds. Current MG sequence typing methods rely...
Collaborative regulatory approach can reduce antibiotic use in animal production
As global concern about the human health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance continues rises, governments continue to introduce legislation to curb antibiotic use in...
Enumeration of Ascaridia Galli eggs in chicken excreta
Excreta counting techniques in eggs can provide valuable information for assessing flock infection levels, selecting nematode resistant chicken breeds and for determining anthelmintic efficacy.
Although...
Biological control of Salmonella in the poultry industry: a European perspective
Salmonella remains one of the most important foodborne bacterial pathogens worldwide, and is frequently linked with the consumption of contaminated poultry meat and eggs....
Chlamydia spp. detected in poultry in Piedmont, Italy
Chlamydia spp. are agents of re-emerging infections in poultry worldwide and deserve attention from a public health perspective due to the well-known zoonotic nature...
Sample management and handling for diagnostic testing
Diagnostic testing is an important and widely used tool in commercial poultry husbandry. A key to best use of diagnostic testing, is to begin...
A diagnostic laboratory perspective for pathogen detection
Detection of infectious diseases can generally be broken down into laboratory detection of the pathogen or detection of the immune response to the pathogen....
Increasing standardization in real-time PCR diagnostics
How to use it with a modular system and its benefit to laboratory throughput.
The IDEXX RealPCR™ real-time PCR reagents aim to provide a new...
Key global health issues in cage-free and organic laying hens
In USA and Europe there has been a growth in cage-free, free range, and organic production over the last 10 years.
The percentage of all...
The declining trend of salmonellosis cases in the EU has levelled off
Cases of Salmonella Enteritidis acquired in the EU have increased in humans by 3% since 2014 says the report, which is compiled by the...
Vaccination of turkey breeders to control Salmonella
Salmonella continues to be a top food safety concern for the turkey industry, the USDA, and the consumer. Salmonella bacteria are the most frequently...
Update on Infectious Bronchitis in the United States
Infectious bronchitis infections continued to increase this year in the Ontario broiler, broiler breeder and layer sectors.
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) can be spread by...
Protozoal management in turkeys
The two turkey protozoa that cause significant animal welfare and economic distress include various Eimeria species of coccidia and Histomonas meleagridis. For coccidia, oral...
Use of comparative genomics to identify vaccine candidates for Campylobacter Jejuni
Interventions to control and reduce the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni colonization in poultry is important in order to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in humans....
Active and passive Salmonella surveillance systems
Two surveillance systems have been established in France for the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica isolated from the agro-food...
Mycoplasma Synoviae, a technical update
Mycoplasma are the smallest free-living organisms both in size and number of genes, and unlike many other bacteria, they do not have a cell...
Investigation of nutritional diseases at the veterinary diagnostic lab
Here below the role the veterinary diagnostic laboratory can play in helping to confirm nutritional diseases in a flock has been described. Regardless issues...
Increased cecal butyrate concentrations protect against Salmonella Enteritidis
Butyrate is a molecule that is extensively studied as a feed additive to improve gut health and animal performance. It also has been described...
Water disinfection in poultry farms: a low-cost practice with high impact
Water is often overlooked as a source of disease risk in poultry farming. Yet, when it comes to biosecurity, drinking water is one of...
A review of novel biological alternatives to antibiotic therapies in poultry
As poultry producers in Australia continue to limit antibiotic use, increasing numbers of alternative therapies and chemical biosecurity products are being used to overcome...
Interrupting cholesterol pathway reduces Marek’s disease spread
In a new discovery, scientists from The Pirbright Institute confirm that cholesterol production and transport play a crucial role in how Marek’s disease virus...
Research shows nutritional effects of Coccidiosis vaccination
A funded research project on Coccidiosis was completed at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that shows the nutritional effects of coccidiosis vaccination.
Project...
Managing coccidiosis in birds raised without antibiotics
For poultry producers to make a profit they must have healthy, uniform sized birds, make sure there are no real or assumed human health...
Salmonella, creating the most undesirable environment
Background
Salmonella non-typhoidal is among the top foodborne bacteria that cause illness within the United States annually.With 1.4 million illness (11% of foodborne bacteria), 19,336...
When the gut rebels: the challenge of chronic inflammation in laying hens
In the poultry industry, intestinal health is a cornerstone for achieving high production yields, feed efficiency, and disease resistance. One of the issues that...
Role of dietary calcium in Necrotic Enteritis development and pathogenesis
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, in which the...
Wooden Breast Disease
The emergence of Wooden Breast Disease in commercial broiler chickens has been associated with significant economic loss in the poultry industry resulting from severe...
Comparison of four injection sites for Se bacterin vaccine in commercial pullets
As commercial pullets farming transitions from rearing a bird on a single level in conventional-style housing to rearing a bird in a multi-level aviary,...
Optimizing immunization through proper vaccination in turkeys
When we talk about optimizing immunization through proper vaccination in commercial turkeys, we are really talking about optimizing drinking water vaccination when we think...
Influenza antibodies made by Pirbright reduce disease in chickens
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have engineered synthetic antibody
molecules that can be administered to poultry to reduce the symptoms of Influenza, as well as...
Animal feed probiotics market expands as antibiotic-free nutrition gains momentum
The global animal feed probiotics market is undergoing a significant transformation as livestock producers increasingly seek sustainable, science-driven alternatives to conventional growth promoters. Valued...
Monitoring of IBV circulation and prevalence
Infectious bronchitis (IB) is one of the most common viral diseases in chicken production worldwide and IB virus (IBV) is considered the most contagious...
Overview of worm infestations in chickens: integrated control, preventive strategies, and novel diagnostic tools
The transition toward alternative and free-range housing systems has led to a renewed increase in helminth infection pressure in poultry production. Intestinal worms not...