Viral Diseases threaten poultry industry

🚫 Face Challenges Protect Your Flock: An In-Depth Guide to Poultry Farming Viral Diseases 🐥🦆

Course Introduction: Hello, my colleagues and students! My name is Mohamed AL-Ashram, and I'm a veterinarian, author, and instructor with extensive experience in the poultry industry. In this comprehensive course, we delve into the critical subject of viral diseases that pose significant threats to the poultry industry. Let's embark on a journey through time and science to safeguard your flock.

The History & Growth of Poultry Production: Poultry production has its roots in Asia, dating back over 3000 years. The breeding of chickens in captivity is traced to at least 1400 BC in Egypt. The past century has witnessed an impressive growth in poultry production, particularly since the late 1960s, with remarkable advancements in vaccination, nutrition, genetics, and management. Today, about 75% of global poultry production is from intensive operations. Chicken production leads the way as the predominant source of poultry meat, followed by turkeys, ducks, and geese. Egg production has also seen significant growth, with a projected increase over the past decade.

The Future of Poultry Production: As we look to the future, the control of diseases remains a top priority for the poultry industry. The main goals are to enhance our ability to manage health issues, maintain high production standards, and ensure reasonable costs while preventing disease outbreaks like Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD), and Avian Influenza (AI). These diseases can cause substantial losses in flock performance, productivity, and profits without necessarily presenting as clinical diseases.

Understanding Viral Diseases and Their Impact: Viruses are silent but devastating pathogens that can cause primary tissue damage or open the door for secondary bacterial and mycoplasmal infections. They can suppress the immune system, leading to stunting, gut disease, malabsorption, respiratory diseases, and more. Effective vaccination programs rely on healthy immune systems, which makes managing viral diseases imperative.

Economic Consequences of Viral Diseases: The economic impact of viral diseases often goes unseen, with losses manifesting as increased mortality rates, reduced average weight, and lower net income per flock. For instance, a clinical infection of the Avian Anemia Virus (CAV) can lead to a 17-19% reduction in net income and higher mortality rates.

Investigating Afield Problems: When faced with a sick flock, observation during a visit is crucial, along with conducting necropsies to observe internal lesions and establish a differential diagnosis. Lab diagnostics are essential for a definitive diagnosis and identifying the causative agent. The tools and techniques used by avian diagnosticians are sophisticated, and the accuracy of results often hinges on the quality of samples submitted.

Understanding Key Viral Diseases: In this course, we will explore various viral diseases affecting poultry, including:

• Avian Influenza (AI): Learn about the clinical signs, lesions, diagnosis, and control methods for this highly contagious disease.
• Newcastle Disease (ND): Discover how to identify ND virus and its impact on your flock.
• Gumboro Disease (IBD): Understand the causes, symptoms, and preventative measures for this common infectious disease.
• Infectious Bronchitis: Examine the effects of this viral respiratory disease on egg production and poultry health.
• Duck Virus Enteritis (DVE) & Duck Virus Hepatitis (DVH): Recognize these diseases and learn how to protect your ducks.
• Avian Adenohemorrhagic Enteritis of Turkeys: Identify the signs and implement control strategies for this turkey-specific disease.

Join Us on This Critical Journey: As we navigate through the complexities of viral diseases in poultry farming, we will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect your flock from these silent threats. Enroll in this course to become a guardian against viral diseases and ensure the health and productivity of your poultry operations.

🌟 Enroll Now and Safeguard Your Flock Against Viral Diseases! 🌟