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Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases

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A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Anatomy, Histology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 18631

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Désirée S. Jansson

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies, National Veterinary Institute, SE 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
2. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, SE750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: avian pathology; poultry medicine; poultry parasitology

Dr. Beatrice Grafl

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Guest Editor

Clinical Unit of Poultry Medicine, University Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Interests: poultry diseases; avian pathology; epidemiology; poultry virology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Poultry meat and egg production are important global agricultural sectors and their importance is projected to rise even further. Current trends include the reduction of antimicrobial use and introduction of alternative commercial production systems to improve animal welfare. There is also renewed interest in smallholder farming and backyard poultry. These changes are likely to have a major influence on disease occurrence. Pathology is a key first step to obtaining an accurate diagnosis and also provides samples for diagnostics. It remains one of the most important techniques in poultry diagnostics and research. A wide range of strategies are applied to prevent and control the spread of poultry diseases, including biosecurity, the compartmentalization of subpopulations, strategic vaccination, monitoring, and surveillance. The aim of this Special Issue is to invite original research manuscripts and reviews on all aspects of poultry pathology and the control of infectious and noninfectious poultry diseases. We call on researchers to contribute recent findings and reviews, focusing on (but not limited to) the following topics:

Poultry pathology;
Disease control and management;
Epidemiology and field investigations;
Transmission studies and disease modelling;
Case reports.

Manuscripts on diseases of all poultry species and commercial as well as backyard poultry are welcome.

Dr. Désirée S. Jansson
Dr. Beatrice Grafl
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

avian pathology
disease prevention
epidemiology
host–pathogen interaction
poultry diseases

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Supplementation with Weizmannia coagulans Strain SANK70258 to Coccidia-Infected Broilers Is Similar to That of a Coccidiostat Administration

by Masanori Aida, Ryouichi Yamada, Shin-ichi Nakamura, Taishi Imaoka, Hikari Shimonishi, Toshiki Matsuo, Itaru Taniguchi and Takamitsu Tsukahara

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(8), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9080406 - 3 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1754

Abstract

To determine whether it could also improve the production performance of Eimeria-infected broilers, Weizmannia coagulans strain SANK70258 (WC) supplementation was compared with coccidiostat lasalocid-A sodium (AM) administration. First, to determine the optimum WC dose, newly hatched broiler chick groups (n = 10) were untreated or consecutively given WC (0.005%, 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.1%) and AM until slaughter (31 days of age). At day 21, all chicks were infected with coccidia. From the economical and practical viewpoints, 0.03% WC supplementation was the best dose. Second, newly hatched broiler chick groups (n = 10) were untreated or given 0.03% WC and AM. Each group was run in triplicate. At day 21, two chicks/pen with the farthest body weights as per the group’s mean body weight were spared, and the remaining inoculated with coccidia. At days 42 and 49, the WC and AM groups had significantly greater body weights and daily weight gains. Intestinal lesion scores were lower in 29-day-old AM and WC. Oocyst numbers were lower in 29- and 49-day-old AM and WC, but only 29- and 49-day-old AM had higher Escherichia coli levels. To conclude, although WC and AM induced similar growth performance in coccidium-infected chicks, unlike AM, the E. coli levels did not increase with WC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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17 pages, 1196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anticoccidial Vaccination Is Associated with Improved Intestinal Health in Organic Chickens

by Désirée S. Jansson, Johan Höglund, Elisabeth Bagge, Tomas Jinnerot and Magne Kaldhusdal

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(7), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9070347 - 9 Jul 2022

Viewed by 2039

Abstract

Eimeria spp. and Clostridium perfringens (CP) are pathogens associated with coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler chickens. In this study we evaluated the effect of anticoccidial vaccination on intestinal health in clinically healthy organic Ross 308 chickens. On each of two farms, one unvaccinated flock (A1 and B1) was compared to one vaccinated flock (A2 and B2) until ten weeks of age (WOA). Faecal oocysts were counted weekly, and species were identified by PCR (ITS-1 gene). Lesion scoring, CP quantification and PCR targeting the CP NetB toxin gene were performed at three, four, and six WOA and chickens were weighed. Necropsies were performed on randomly selected chickens to identify coccidiosis/NE. Oocyst shedding peaked at three WOA in all flocks. Later oocyst shedding (E. tenella/E. maxima) in unvaccinated flocks at 5–7 WOA coincided with coccidiosis/NE. Although results differed somewhat between farms, vaccination was associated with lower intestinal lesion scores, reduced caecal CP counts, lower proportions of netB-positive CP, lower body weight at three–four WOA, and similar or slightly increased body weight at six WOA. In conclusion, the intestinal health of organic broilers can benefit from anticoccidial vaccination when oocyst exposure levels are high. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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19 pages, 3855 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5Nx, Clade 2.3.4.4.b) in Poultry and Wild Birds in Sweden: Synopsis of the 2020–2021 Season

by Malin Grant, Caroline Bröjer, Siamak Zohari, Maria Nöremark, Henrik Uhlhorn and Désirée S. Jansson

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(7), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9070344 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4824

Abstract

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, Gs/Gd lineage) was introduced to Europe in 2005 and has since caused numerous outbreaks in birds. The 2020–2021 season was the hitherto most devastating when considering bird numbers and duration in Europe. Surveillance data, virologic results and epidemiologic investigations from the 2020–2021 outbreaks in Sweden were analysed. Subtypes H5N8 and H5N5 were detected on 24 farms with poultry or other captive birds. In wild birds, subtypes H5N8, H5N5, H5N1, H5N4, H5Nx were detected in 130 out of 811 sampled birds. There was a spatiotemporal association between cases in wild birds and poultry. Based on phylogeny and epidemiology, most of the introductions of HPAI to commercial poultry were likely a result of indirect contact with wild birds. A definite route of introduction to poultry could not be established although some biosecurity breaches were observed. No spread between farms was identified but airborne spread between flocks on the same farm was suspected. Our findings exemplify the challenges posed by the continuously changing influenza viruses that seem to adapt to a broader species spectrum. This points to the importance of wild bird surveillance, compliance to biosecurity, and identification of risk factors for introduction on poultry farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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12 pages, 580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Dosage Levels for In Ovo Administration of Innate Immune Stimulants for Prevention of Yolk Sac Infection in Chicks

by Mishal Sarfraz, Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen, Colette Wheler, Wolfgang Köster, Volker Gerdts and Arshud Dar

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(5), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9050203 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2428

Abstract

Innate immune stimulants, especially toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and agonists, are the main players in the initiation of innate immunity and have been widely studied as alternatives to antibiotics to control infection. In the present study, we characterized the dosage levels of various innate immune stimulants, including unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanosine dinucleotide -containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), cyclic polyphosphazene 75B (CPZ75B), avian beta-defensin 2 (ABD2), and combinations of these reagents given in ovo. Data derived from a series of animal experiments demonstrated that the in ovo administration of 10–50 µg CpG ODN/embryo (on embryonic day 18) is an effective formulation for control of yolk sac infection (YSI) due to avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in young chicks. Amongst the different combinations of innate immune stimulants, the in ovo administration of CpG ODN 10 µg in combination with 15 µg of poly I:C was the most effective combination, offering 100% protection from YSI. It is expected that the introduction of these reagents to management practices at the hatchery level may serve as a potential replacement for antibiotics for the reduction of early chick mortality (ECM) due to YSI/colibacillosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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Review

Jump to: Research

24 pages, 1066 KiB

Open AccessReview

Emergence, Dissemination and Antimicrobial Resistance of the Main Poultry-Associated Salmonella Serovars in Brazil

by Diéssy Kipper, Andréa Karoline Mascitti, Silvia De Carli, Andressa Matos Carneiro, André Felipe Streck, André Salvador Kazantzi Fonseca, Nilo Ikuta and Vagner Ricardo Lunge

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(8), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9080405 - 3 Aug 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4377

Abstract

Salmonella infects poultry, and it is also a human foodborne pathogen. This bacterial genus is classified into several serovars/lineages, some of them showing high antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The ease of Salmonella transmission in farms, slaughterhouses, and eggs industries has made controlling it a real challenge in the poultry-production chains. This review describes the emergence, dissemination, and AMR of the main Salmonella serovars and lineages detected in Brazilian poultry. It is reported that few serovars emerged and have been more widely disseminated in breeders, broilers, and layers in the last 70 years. Salmonella Gallinarum was the first to spread on the farms, remaining as a concerning poultry pathogen. Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis were also largely detected in poultry and foods (eggs, chicken, turkey), being associated with several human foodborne outbreaks. Salmonella Heidelberg and Minnesota have been more widely spread in recent years, resulting in frequent chicken/turkey meat contamination. A few more serovars (Infantis, Newport, Hadar, Senftenberg, Schwarzengrund, and Mbandaka, among others) were also detected, but less frequently and usually in specific poultry-production regions. AMR has been identified in most isolates, highlighting multi-drug resistance in specific poultry lineages from the serovars Typhimurium, Heidelberg, and Minnesota. Epidemiological studies are necessary to trace and control this pathogen in Brazilian commercial poultry production chains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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9 pages, 453 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Industry within the United Kingdom and the Threat Posed by Mycoplasma gallisepticum: A Review

by Matthew J. Balfour

Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(8), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9080391 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1907

Abstract

In ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infection is frequently associated with infectious sinusitis. This condition causes swelling of the infraorbital sinuses, upper respiratory distress, depression and variable levels of mortality, and is considered one of the most important clinical and economic diseases of pheasants. This review provides a brief overview of the structure of the UK pheasant industry, with reference to the various stages within the supply chain, common diseases and challenges facing the industry. The current understanding of MG transmission, prevalence, clinical expression, diagnosis and control strategies in pheasants is subsequently summarised. In addition, this review aims to assess the current gaps in knowledge relating specifically to MG in pheasants, with reference and extrapolation where appropriate to data gathered from other species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Pathology and Control of Avian Diseases)

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