Dr Bagust added: “The French Organising Team did WVPA proud with a programme of some 500 oral and poster presentations and their hospitality and social events were exceptional. Nobody can have left this Congress without a better understanding of key topical issues such as influenza, campylobacter, in ovo vaccination and antibiotic resistance.”

The prestigious Avian Pathology Lecture was on the theme of ‘Viral and Bacterial Enteric Diseases’ and was presented by Professor Filip van Immersel from Belgium.

The success of the Congress was echoed by its main industry supporters – Ceva, MSD Animal Health, Merial and Zoetis – all of whom praised the quality of the papers and posters and the superb organisation by the French, which concluded with a Gala Dinner at the famed ‘Machines de L'île’. The highlight of this evening was the induction of the first 52 members to be elected to the WVPA’s new Hall of Honour. Details of all 52 can be found on the WVPA web site at www.wvpa.net.

The Bart Rispens Award (supported by MSD Animal Health) and the WVPA-Zoetis Young Poultry Veterinarian Awards were also presented.

“Hosting WVPA’s XVIIIth Congress was an honour, which was made all the more memorable because we had poultry health experts attending from 79 countries and we were particularly pleased to have had a good turnout from Asia,” the French organiser, Nicolas Eterradossi, added.

In 2014, WVPA will be hosting Regional Meetings in Asia and Europe (programmes and further details available by the end of this year) and the next two global conferences will be held in Cape Town (2015) and Edinburgh (2017).

“WVPA is a vibrant Association for anyone associated with avian health and it has branches in some 45 countries and over 2,500 members. WVPA’s strength lies in its highly informative Congresses with their great networking and camaraderie. I look forward to WVPA going from strength to strength over the coming years in its role of enhancing the education of poultry veterinarians in academia, research, practice, industry or government,” added WVPA’s vice president, Nigel Horrox.