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...
Immune system and nutrition: the balance between immunity and growth in modern broiler crosses
Immune activation is the first stage of the immune response necessary to protect the body. It is accompanied by significant metabolic costs and inflammation....
Pirbright’s new Avian Influenza vaccine
An improved poultry influenza vaccine has been developed by researchers from The Pirbright Institute. The potential vaccine triggers a rapid immune response which protects...
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...
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...
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...
Use of injection syringes in the animal production industry
Animal health is an important factor to consider, as any disease outbreak can potentially have drastic economical consequences. For this reason, planning and preparing...
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...
Gut health and Coccidiosis
In poultry, gut health is fundamental and the gastrointestinal tract accounts for twenty percent of the energy expenditure of the whole body. This energy...
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...
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...
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...
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....
Research reveals method to improve Escherichia coli vaccines
A funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. was completed, in which researchers revealed a method to improve Escherichia coli...
Frontiers in human and veterinary antibody discovery
The Pirbright Institute hosted the inaugural Comparative Veterinary Immunology Group (CVIG) meeting Frontiers in Human and Veterinary Antibody discovery on 26 and 27 November,...
Targeted preharvest interventions against Salmonella in turkeys
Salmonella is a foodborne zoonotic pathogen prevalent in poultry production, including turkeys. The pathogen is a constant threat to human public health because of...
Enhancing biosecurity using flow analysis and Danish entry concepts
The term Danish entry is commonly used to describe entryways to livestock buildings that help people enter barns in a relatively bio secure way...
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...
Microbiological consequences of different housing systems for laying hens, with particular reference to Salmonella...
A significant proportion of human illnesses caused by Salmonella are linked to the consumption of contaminated eggs. In response, substantial government and private industry...
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...
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...
Gut health
Gut health and the efficient conversion of feed into its basic components for optimal nutrient absorption is vital for both commercial and turkey breeder...
Investigating diseases affecting poultry production
Severe diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and velogenic Newcastle disease are still a concern for poultry producers and government agencies alike. Companies...
Host and microbial biomarkers for intestinal health and disease in broilers
New tools can be used to determine the gut health status of animals and to predict animal performance or to make a decision whether...
Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of thermophylic Campylobacters in poultry
Campylobacter spp. is a leading cause of foodborne diarrhea. The most common source of infection is contaminated food, mainly poultry meat.
The uncontrolled use of...
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...
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...
The challenges and future of poultry diagnostics
A review of the past helps to frame the future of poultry diagnostics. In the United States, the Land-Grant universities provided a fertile environment...
Pirbright’s livestock coronavirus research
The Pirbright Institute is aware that misinformation regarding the Institute and its research is circulating on social media following an outbreak of a new...
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...
Interreg NWE OMELETTE project demonstrates practical pathway to longer, healthier laying cycles
At the mid-term TransRegional Eggspert Panel meeting in Ploufragan, France, the OMELETTE project presented its first results, highlighting how a more proactive and data-driven...
Medium-chain fatty acids and Salmonella Infantis control in broilers: effects on gut health and...
Introduction
Salmonella Infantis has become one of the most relevant food safety challenges facing the poultry sector. In recent years, this serovar has gained increasing...
Female persistency post-peak. Managing fertility and production
INTRODUCTION
Managing breeding stock fertility and egg production is critical to achieving good breeder production and welfare. However, maintaining persistent egg output and hatchability remains...
Researchers investigate the cause and prevention of False Layer Syndrome
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in which researchers investigated the cause and prevention...
New avian flu outbreak detected on a farm in the Urgell region (Catalonia)
The Government of Catalonia has confirmed the detection of a new case of avian influenza on a poultry farm located within the surveillance radius...
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...
Non-antibiotic intestinal interventions
As the countdown towards implementation of the FDA’s Guidance for Industry 213 continues, interest in non-antibiotic intestinal interventions has increased. Earliest efforts in this...
DNA region in chickens identified for disease resistance
One region in the DNA explains a large difference in possible disease resistance betweenchickens. This was discovered by researchers of Wageningen University & Research...
Mass water vaccination in poultry sheds: accurate dose for every bird, every line
Even if many people use the same methods or knowledge for water vaccination in cage or aviary systems as they do for broiler or...
In-ovo corticosterone alters body composition in 35 day old chi-cken meat birds
Increasing evidence suggests early-life exposure to maternal stress can permanently alter thedevelopment of an embryo. Such findings have significant application to the chicken meat...
Linear Epitope Mapping of B-cell responses following immunization with Avian Reovirus S1133
Avian reovirus is a causative agents of tenosynovitis and viral arthritis. Commercially available reovirus vaccines do not protect against challenge with emerging variants associated...
Characterizing litter mite communities. Applications of DNA barcoding for management strategies
The use of DNA barcoding can facilitate rapid biodiversity assessments of fastidious taxa - litter mite communities - by delineating species using molecular operational...
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....
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...
Pathogenesis of egg infections by Salmonella – First Part
Salmonella is an invasive bacterial genus and colonizes the gut of chickens, and systemically spreads to internal organs, including the reproductive tract, potentially leading...
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,...
Compatibility of a new multi-strain probiotic with a live-attenuated Salmonella vaccine in chickens
A pilot study was undertaken to assess the compatibility of a new multistrain probiotic with a live-attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) vaccine. Experimental units were...
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....
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines produced in eggs have unpredictable mutations
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have shown that infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines produced in eggs have unpredictable mutations which may be prone to...
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...
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...
Researchers investigate the characteristics of Turkey Hepatitis Reovirus
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Minnesota in which researchers investigated the characteristics of Turkey...
Poultry gut health critical to NAE production
The production of “No Antibiotics Ever” (NAE) poultry is a common trend worldwide today. Despite scientific evidence indicating that specific antibiotic growth promoters (AGP)...
Blackhead disease: development of molecular tests and an in vitro assay to identify reservoirs...
This research project developed diagnostic assays needed for advancing the understanding of blackhead disease. The article shows clearly how the disease most likely spreads...
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...
Better for birds, the earth, and you: Kipster’s egg
In the United States, as of March 2024, 40% of eggs produced are cage-free. While the cage-free movement has gained momentum worldwide, one company...
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...
Analysis of anti-Ascaridia galli antibody levels in egg yolk to detect parasite infection in...
In recent years, in response to consumer concerns regarding welfare of birds, there has been a move from caged to free-range production systems. This...
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...
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...
Decoding cecal cores in chickens: from necropsy to diagnosis
Cecal cores are a classical pathological gross lesion seen in field necropsies. Even though a presumptive diagnosis is made based on the visualization of...
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...
Case report: histomoniasis in broiler breeder pullets
Histomoniasis, commonly known as blackhead disease, is caused by an anerobic protozoan parasite, Histomonas meleagridis. Histomoniasis affects all gallinaceous birds and turkeys are the...
Pirbright research to boost vaccine production
Scientists at the Pirbright Institute have received money, which will enable research into boosting vaccine yields by up to ten fold. The funding was...
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...
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...
eBeam treatment of ground poultry meat: different effects in chicken and turkey
Electron beam treatment, or eBeam, can reduce microbial contamination without the use of heat. Its effects on poultry meat, however, are not always the...
Future of coccidiosis management in turkeys
Coccidiosis is a disease that is caused by protozoan parasites that develop within the intestine of most domestic and wild animals and birds. Coccidia...
A synergistic herbal alternative combination: curcumshield vs poultry infections – a broad-spectrum study
Introduction
In the case of bacterial infections, various categories of antibiotics – especially synthetic ones – are widely used as broad-spectrum bacteriostatic and bactericidal agents....
Ability to detect Salmonella vs. Salmonella-Free in poultry processing
Poultry are sampled often for Salmonella during growout on the farm and throughout the processing plant. While on farm sampling is not currently a...
How a single Avian Influenza protein can increase period of infection
New research led by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has shown how an Avian Infuenza a virus protein, called PB1-F2, is able to shut...
Overcoming challenges of antibiotic-free production
Antibiotic use once became a conventional, on-farm practice to prevent health issues and boost growth in poultry. Yet, public health concerns about rising bacteria...
Understanding resistance to different Infectious Bronchitis virus genotypes
In previous experiments, we have challenged major histocompatibility complex (MHC) congenic chicken lines available at UC Davis with an infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) M41...
The first week as therapy: rethinking the broiler neonatal phase with a preventive approach
The first 7–10 days of life represent the biologically most critical phase of the entire commercial broiler production cycle. Within this narrow timeframe, the...
Avian influenza diagnostics in foxes provide valuable addition to mammal surveillance
Research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) and the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC) shows that foxes in the province of Friesland can become infected...
Pulmonary Nocardiosis in turkey poults
Nocardiosis is an opportunistic, noncontagious, pyogranulomatous or suppurative disease of domestic animals, wildlife and people. In domestic animals, it causes mastitis, pneumonia (granulomatous lesions...
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...
The relationship between sperm function and diet – Toms are what they eat
It is well known that cryopreserved semen could be used to regenerate commercial or research poultry lines; however, fertility rates from poultry semen frozen...
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)...
Effect of difference doses of Newcastle disease vaccine immunization on broilers
Influence on growth performance, plasma variables and immune response
As a member of the Paramyxoviridae group, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is the key causative agent...
