B R O I L E R H E A L T H .
C O M
B R O I L E R
D
health check
D Drug-resistant bacteria
found in stored litter
Typical methods of storing
poultry litter aren’t sufficient
for eliminating drug-resistant
enterococci and staphylococci,
which may be released into
the environment when the
litter is disposed of on land,
according to an article in
the August 2009 issue of
Environmental Research.
In a 120-day study, investiga-
tors characterized the survival
of antimicrobial-resistant
enterococci and staphylococci,
and resistance genes in poultry
litter. They measured the
temperature, moisture and pH,
as well as colony-forming
units of Enterococcus spp.
and Staphylococcus spp.,
from storage sheds at three
conventional US broiler-
chicken farms.
Selected isolates from each
sampling were then tested for
resistance to eight antimicro-
bials used in poultry feeds,
as well as the presence of
resistance genes.
Temperatures greater than
140° F (60° C) were found only
intermittently in the core of
the litter piles. Both antimicro-
bial-resistant enterococci and
staphylococci, as well as
resistance genes, persisted
throughout the study period,
say the investigators from the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health.
D forms of ND will cough, develop
health
NEW TRENDS IN DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND NUTRITION
Prevention is ‘the name of the game’
The possibility of virulent Newcastle disease
remains a threat that isn’t going away soon,
underscoring the need to protect flocks.
The US poultry industry shouldn’t
let its guard down when it comes to
Newcastle disease, cautions an avian-
virus disease expert.
Newcastle disease (ND) remains the
leading disease of poultry in the world
and, in fact, is more common than the
well-publicized avian influenza, says
Dr. Pedro Villegas, professor emeritus,
Poultry Diagnostic Research Center,
University of Georgia, Athens.
Since serious outbreaks of ND can lead
to massive losses, producers need to
stay vigilant about protecting their flocks
against the disease, he says. “It’s always
there, it’s always a challenge and that’s
one reason we still vaccinate — to prevent
a big disaster in case more-virulent strains,
present in other countries, emerge in the
US,” he says.
Villegas:...serious outbreaks of ND can lead to massive
losses, [so] producers need to stay vigilant about
protecting their flocks against the disease...
The strains of ND now circulating in the
US are the lentogenic, milder variety most
often associated with subclinical disease.
This is in contrast to the highly virulent
velogenic form of ND, which is circulating
in Mexico and many other countries,
resulting in very high mortality, Villegas
says. Outbreaks of velogenic ND occurred
in California in the early 2000s, and
eradicating the disease required destructing
millions of birds, he notes.
Flocks in the US affected by the milder
conjunctivitis and have excess mucus

in the upper respiratory tract and trachea,
as well as airsaculitis. Mortality tends to
be low unless secondary bacterial infections
develop, he says. “Most of the time the
signs of ND are reduced to respiratory
reactions induced by circulating viruses
derived from ND vaccines.”
IMPAIRS FEED CONVERSION
Birds that survive ND stop eating, which
impairs feed conversion. This can be
especially problematic when the signs of
ND occur later in the production cycle —
a time that birds are gaining weight and
competing for space, feed, water and
oxygen, Villegas continues.
Another important contributing factor in
the development of respiratory reactions
is the condition of the litter. “You have
to reuse litter since disposal of litter is a
problem, but you’re recycling viruses. People
try to disinfect in between flocks, but it’s not
always very effective. Also, the humidity
of the litter plays an important role in the
production of ammonia, which is very
harmful to the respiratory tract of chickens,”
he says.
Newcastle is also more likely to be a problem
in areas with a high concentration of birds,
during cold months and if birds have other
respiratory diseases such as bronchitis. High
humidity predisposes birds to pneumonia,
which in turn predisposes them to diseases
like ND, he continues.
Many US producers start vaccinating
broilers with a live-ND vaccine early —
often at 1 day of age — using a coarse
spray in the hatchery. A few companies
revaccinate in the field, often with a live-ND
vaccine administered in the drinking water,
Villegas says.
The situation is different with broiler breed-
ers since these flocks are not grown at high
density. They might receive two to three
live-ND vaccines beginning at about 2 weeks
of age, and then they are revaccinated by
injection once or twice with inactivated
(killed), oil-emulsion vaccines that contain
ND and other viruses such as infectious
bronchitis virus, infectious bursal disease
continued
 B R O I L E R
health
News
from
Intestinal Health
Broiler Health’s sister publication,
Intestinal Health magazine, carries
in-depth features and timely
updates about
nutrition
and new
strategies for
managing gut
diseases. Here
are some
highlights from
the most
recent issue.
W ‘We take care of the
little things’
Georgia’s Fieldale Farms is applying
lessons learned from the drug-free
side of its poultry operation to its
intestinal health program for
conventionally raised birds.
W Waves of progress
The method used to vaccinate
chickens for coccidiosis can
have a significant impact on the
percentage of birds successfully
protected, indicates the results
of a recent study.
W Villegas strongly advises producers using
What we’ve learned
The growing use of coccidiosis
vaccines over the past decade has
helped improve coccidiosis control
in broilers while also yielding several
unexpected practical benefits for
producers of both conventional and
drug-free birds.
W Nutrition notebook
Poultry experts share ideas for
optimizing feed conversion and
weight gain in the face of new
feedstuffs, higher prices and
emerging enteric challenges.
For more, go to
www.ihc-poultr y.com .
continued from front page / Prevention is ‘the name of the game’
virus and reovirus. The immunity induced
by the oil-emulsion, killed-ND vaccines
lasts longer than immunity from live-ND
vaccines, Villegas explains.
LOSSES COULD BE HIGH
A few companies have eliminated ND
vaccination altogether or have lax
ND vaccine programs. Because the US
doesn’t import many live chickens, the
risk of bringing in virulent ND is
somewhat reduced, he says.
On the other hand, “If we develop
serious ND problems and have lax ND
vaccine programs, we run the risk of
losing a lot of chickens. We have learned
lessons in Mexico and other countries
that if you have a poor
program and get
pathogenic ND virus,
you will lose a high “If we develop serious
percentage of chickens.
And problems with the
virus will continue in
ND problems and have
future flocks because it
takes a long time to a lax ND vaccine
control this type of
ND,” Villegas warns.
program, we run the risk
Contrary to avian
influenza virus, ND
is a more stable virus of losing a lot of chickens.”
and there is only one
serotype; therefore,
most vaccines are DR. PEDRO VILLEGAS
able to protect birds
from ND, although for
virulent ND strains more than
one vaccination is almost always
required, he says.
conventional ND vaccines to “know if
your flocks are protected.” Have blood
samples analyzed for ND antibody titers
toward the end of the production cycle
because, in his experience, there’s tremen-
dous variability in antibody titers that
may indicate poor vaccination uniformity,
especially after field administration of
ND vaccines in the drinking water.
“If you have poor uniformity, make
adjustments in your vaccine procedure.
The conventional vaccines against ND
are good, and most of the problems we
have are due to failures in the methods
of vaccination,” he says.
ND, BRONCHITIS VACCINES COMPETE
Another problem with conventional ND
vaccines involves co-administration with
bronchitis vaccines. When any two respira-
tory viruses are given at the same time,
they compete for similar receptor cells in
the trachea, which can decrease or interfere
with developing immunity.
B R O I L E R H E A L T H . C O M
This is especially a problem in short-
lived broilers. “In the commercial broiler
industry, we don’t have time to give each
respiratory vaccine separately,” he says.
Vaccine manufacturers have done a good
job adjusting titers in their products to
accommodate for this problem, but it
remains a concern, Villegas adds.
One solution may be the advent of
recombinant vaccines for ND. An
example is Innovax ND-SB, which is
based on the herpesvirus of turkey
(HVT). It causes no reactions and can
be administered with bronchitis vaccines
since no interference occurs. It can be
given in ovo to 18-day-old embryos or
subcutaneously at 1 day of age. The vaccine
also protects against Marek’s disease.
Villegas says
that recombinant
vaccines still have
to be proven under
field conditions to
evaluate their
protection against
virulent viruses that
are not present in
the US, but that
“recombinant
vaccines will be a
tremendous help
for the industry”
because they will
reduce the number
of times that
chickens will have
to be handled in
the field. “You’ll also get more uniformity,”
he says.
Conventional serology to check for anti-
bodies is not currently an option with the
recombinants. Tests to quantify antibodies
such as ELISA or hemagglutination
inhibition (HI) will be negative or very
low when recombinant vaccines are used,
although technology to detect antibodies
from recombinants will catch up, Villegas
says. In addition, if an ELISA or HI is
positive after an HVT recombinant ND
vaccine is used, “You’ll know there is live
ND virus circulating in the field.”
He emphasizes not to forget biosecurity
when it comes to control of ND. “In
broilers, it’s not as good as it could be in
older complexes.”
In new complexes, “You shower and
change clothes. You may be prohibited
from entry if you’ve visited another poultry
farm on the same day. You don’t bring
equipment from one farm to another,” all
measures that can help protect flocks from
ND and many other diseases.
“Prevention is the name of the game when
you work with poultry,” Villegas concludes.
S
N E W T R E N D S I N D I S E A S E
Researchers seek
SALMONELLA-CONTROL METHODS for poultry
With food safety a continuing
concern for the public and the
poultry industry, investigators
around the world are doggedly
exploring ways to prevent
salmonella colonization
in chickens.
One recent report indicates that changing
the type of cereal fed to broilers may
help control salmonella, while another
cautions that chlorinated water may
not protect young birds from early
salmonella exposure.
In an experiment with cereal, Belgian
researchers fed 40 newly hatched broilers
either a maize-soybean-based diet or a
wheat/rye-soybean-based diet, or one
of these diets plus 100 mg/kg of the
antibiotic growth-promoter zinc bacitracin.
At 11 days of age, the broilers were
inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis —
one of the salmonella types that cause
food poisoning in humans. Upon necropsy
at day 15, salmonella colonization in the
spleen and ceca was found to be signifi-
cantly lower in birds fed the maize-based
diet. In addition, zinc bacitracin did not
affect salmonella colonization.
M A N A G E M E N T A N D N U T R I T I O N
In a second similar experiment, 120 newly
hatched broilers received either the maize-
soybean- or the wheat/rye-soybean-based
diet before inoculation at 11 days of age
with S. enteritidis. Salmonella colonization
was significantly lower in the spleen, liver
and ceca of broilers that received the
maize-based diet, say Emma Teirlynck and
colleagues, of the Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
“These data show that the cereal type
in broiler feed can affect salmonella
colonization, probably due to changes in
intestinal health of the birds. Hence,
altering the diet composition can be
regarded as a simple tool to supplement
other control measures against salmonella
in broilers,” the investigators say in the
October 2009 issue of Poultry Science.
Chlorination study
The effectiveness of chlorination on salmo-
nella in broilers was studied by investigators
at the University of Arkansas. An in-line gas
chlorinator was installed and set to maintain
≥1 part per million (ppm) free chlorine,
along with a second injector that provided
acidified calcium sulfate to maintain an
oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) reading
of 650 mV or higher. The ORP, total- and
free-chlorine levels were measured and
recorded four times daily. There was also a
control group of broilers that did not receive
chlorinated water.
Broilers in the study were raised under
standard commercial conditions with nipple
drinkers and tube feeders. On days 7, 25
and 42 of the trial, birds from each group
were randomly selected and challenged
with nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella
typhimurium, which can cause gastroenteri-
tis in humans that consume poultry tainted
with the bacterium.

No significant differences were found
between the treatment and control groups
regarding weight, feed conversion or
mortality. However, in birds challenged at
7 days, salmonella contamination was more
likely in birds that drank chlorinated water
compared to controls. When challenged
with salmonella at 35 days, there was less
contamination in birds from the chlorinated
group compared to controls.
Acidifier might affect protection
The results indicate that chlorinated water
does not provide protection against exposure
to Salmonella spp. early in life — at 7 days
of age — in birds drinking chlorinated water
maintained at an ORP of 650 mV or higher,
while chlorinated water did reduce the
incidence when birds were challenged closer
to the market age of 35 days, Jennifer
Hughes and colleagues write in Volume 11,
No. 2 of Avian Advice.
The lack of protection and actual increase
in salmonella incidence in chlorinated birds
challenged at an early age is perplexing
but might be related to the acidifier used
in the trials, they say. The researchers cite
observations that when acidified calcium
sulfate is used, bird weight isn’t as good as
it is with the acidifier sodium bisulfate.
Domestic chickens have definite likes and
dislikes with respect to water taste, so it’s
possible that the acidified calcium sulfate
depressed water consumption early on,
which would also mean depressed feed
consumption. This may have allowed the
salmonella challenge at 7 days to be more
infective, they say.
The investigators advise producers to
choose acids and other products that will
not impair broiler water consumption.
h
B R O I L E R I N T E R V E T / S C H E R I N G - P L O U G H A N I M A L H E A L T H 
health

expert advice Risk factors associated with ILT

L I N N E A N E W M A N , DVM ACPV / Field service veterinarian, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health
G U I L L E R M O Z A VA L A , MS, DVM, MAM, PHD / Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, University of Georgia

Infectious laryngotracheitis was once an episodic disease in North American broilers.

Periodic outbreaks seemed to last a year or two, then we’d have long periods of quiet
before another outbreak might occur. In recent years, the disease seems to have become
endemic in some broiler areas. It flares and wanes but never really goes away.

Why? It’s not the fault of backyard flocks. Genetic-sequencing techniques have demon-
strated that infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) viruses circulating in these populations
IT ’S SOME OF OUR are different from the ILT viruses in commercial birds. Instead, it’s some of our own
management practices that help keep this disease alive in our commercial flocks.

O W N M A N AG E M E N T
1 Many
MANURE DISPOSAL
producers spread poultry litter on their own pastures, with peak spreading in the spring. ILT
P R AC T I C E S T H AT outbreaks also peak in spring. A second ILT-outbreak peak occurs with manure spreading in the fall.

Daily manure removal from commercial layers presents a chronic risk, especially when trucks used
HELP KEEP TH IS for pick-up are shared among different producers in a wide geographical area.

DISEASE ALIVE IN 2 STOCKING DENSITY

We know that high poultry density in a geographical area offers greater risk of disease spread, but
stocking density? In this case, high stocking density in small bird operations means that birds must
OUR COMMERCIAL be moved from half-house to full-house by 10 days of age. Conventional ILT vaccination isn’t effective
before 10 days of age, so birds must be vaccinated in the full house. Spray vaccination doesn’t
effectively cover birds unless it’s done in the brood chamber.
FLOCKS.

3 Broilers
WATER CONSUMPTION
grow quickly. Today’s birds consume about 29 gallons of water per 1,000 birds per day at
14 days of age. It’s very difficult to achieve uniform vaccination via drinking water.

4 COMPETITION WITH NDV/IBV VACCINE

The practice of combining Newcastle disease (ND), infectious bronchitis disease (IBD) and ILT
vaccines results in a competition in the trachea — resulting in reduced ILT virus in the trachea.

5 Studies
INCOMPLETE DOSE
demonstrate that while a well-vaccinated bird may clear vaccine virus in 7 days, the virus
persists in the trachea if birds receive an incomplete dose. Such birds shed for a longer period of
time, increasing the risk of virus spread and rolling reaction. An incomplete dose can be the result
of cutting the vaccine, vaccinating in combination with ND/IBD vaccines, or incomplete coverage
with spray or water vaccination.

6 Flocks
SLAUGHTER AGE
tend to break with clinical ILT at about 42 days of age, but infection has occurred up to
10 days prior to clinical signs. Small birds may be shipped without clinical signs but at the peak
of virus shedding.

By keeping management practices that contribute to ILT in mind and rectifying

those that we can, we can achieve better control of this potentially devastating and
costly disease.

© 2010. Intervet International B.V.
All rights reserved SPAH-PBU-557
Broiler Health is a periodic
newsletter published by
Intervet/Schering-Plough
Animal Health.
For information and story
suggestions, contact the editor
at J F E E K S @ P R W O R K S . N E T
or +1.508.627.6949. Changes
of address should be faxed
to +1.508.629.5555.
Executive editors: Dr. Rick Phillips, Bill Vaughn
Editor: Joseph Feeks
Managing editor: Diana Delmar
Technical editor: Dr. Charlie Broussard
Art director: Susanna Ronner
Proofreader: Ruth Misiewicz

B RO I L E R H E A LT H . C O M Printed on recycled paper