UK Poultry Disease Quarterly Surveillance Report - February 2004
By Veterinary Laboratories Agency - This report monitors trends in the major endemic poultry diseases and utilises the farmfile and VIDA (Veterinary Investigation Disease Analysis) databases. The report is compiled using disease data gathered by the network of 15 VLA regional laboratories which carry out disease investigation in the field.
15 February 2004
3 minute read
 Oct - Dec 2003 - Published Feb 2004 Contents OVERVIEW (here) POULTRY STATISTICS NOTIFIABLE DISEASES: - Submissions to the EU Reference Laboratory - Imported Captive Birds FOOD SAFETY AND ZOONOSES: - Food Safety - Salmonella Report - Review of Salmonella Java - Non-Statutory Zoonoses ENDEMIC/NEW AND EMERGING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE: - Virology Report - Airsacculitis in Rearing Turkeys - Review of Necrotic Enteritis and Bacterial Spondylitis in Broilers - Histomoniasis (Blackhead) in Turkeys - Motile Protozoa in Gamebirds - Coccidiosis and Mycoplasma gallisepticum in commercial poultry - Unevenness and Pododermatitis in broilers Appendix I – Lasswade histopathology submissions Appendix II – Lasswade diagnostic poultry submissions |
Highlights
- INCREASE IN BLACKHEAD IN TURKEYS
- DISEASE REVIEWS FOR 2003
Overview
OVERVIEW
The placings of both broilers and female
broiler parents were higher during the last
quarter of 2003 compared with the same
quarter of 2002, whereas layer chick placings
have shown a slight decline. Both broiler and
turkey slaughterings showed an increase.
There has been a sharp rise in imports of
poultry meat (poultry statistics page 2).
The overall health status of the industry has
remained reasonably good during the year
although at the time of writing the current
outbreaks of “bird flu” in the Far East are of
concern and have attracted much media
interest; earlier in the year the outbreaks of
avian influenza in the Netherlands, Germany
and Belgium caused similar concern, and
highlighted the importance of high standards
of biosecurity.
This report provides reviews of some current
health issues affecting both the commercial
and small producer poultry sectors as well as
gamebirds. The unavailability of licensed
medication for the control of histomoniasis
(blackhead) in turkeys and chickens is
becoming a serious concern, and VIDA data
(page 10) indicate an increase in blackhead
in 2003 compared with previous years.
This report also describes turkey
airsacculitis/meningitis as an apparently new
and emerging disease, and previous reports
in 2003 highlighted other emerging diseases
including “vibrionic hepatitis” in free range
layers (Vol 7 No2), spirochaetosis in layers
and ascites/right ventricular hypertrophy in
pheasants (Vol 7 No 3). An overview of the
definitions of “free range” and “organic” as
applied to broiler chickens was given in Vol 7
No1.
To read the full 10 page PDF report please click here
Source: Veterinary Laboratories Agency - February 2004
