UK Poultry Disease Quarterly Surveillance Report (to December 2006)

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.

20 March 2007

3 minute read

Quarterly Surveillance Report Poultry: Vol. 10 No. 4
October - December 2006
Published February 2007

Contents

OVERVIEW (here)

POULTRY STATISTICS

NOTIFIABLE DISEASES:
- SUBMISSIONS TO THE EU REFERENCE
- LABORATORY
- FOWL CHOLERA

FOOD SAFETY AND ZOONOSES
- FOOD SAFETY
- SALMONELLA REPORT
- SALMONELLA ZO4 VISITS
- VACCINAL STRAINS OF
S.ENTERITIDIS

ENDEMIC/NEW AND EMERGING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
- VIROLOGY REPORT

OTHER AVIAN TOPICS
- BLACKHEAD UPDATE
- MAREK’S DISEASE
- NECROTIC ENTERITIS
- TURKEY RESPIRATORY-MENINGITIS SYNDROME

APPENDIX I:VLA BURY HISTOPATHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS JULY-DECEMBER 2006

APPENDIX II:VLA LASSWADE HISTOPATHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS JANUARY-JUNE 2006

APPENDIX III:VLA LASSWADE POULTRY AND GAME BIRD DIAGNOSTIC PMS 2006

Highlights

SUMMARY OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE IN PARTRIDGES
CONTINUED DECLINE IN NECROTIC ENTERITIS AND BLACKHEAD DIAGNOSES
AVIRULENT STRAIN OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE IN TURKEYS (PAGE 3)

Overview

At the time of writing the UK poultry scene is dominated by the outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in a turkey flock in Suffolk, and the debate on the similarity between the Suffolk and recent Hungarian virus isolates. Debate has also been ongoing in the poultry press on the potential role of migratory birds in spreading disease and on the continued importance of biosecurity.

The opportunity for disease spread from wild or feral to domestic birds was well illustrated by the Newcastle disease outbreak in partridges in Scotland in October, and spread by wild birds was also implicated in the LPAI H7N3 outbreaks in Norfolk in April (Quarterly Report April-June 2006).

Two further outbreaks of Fowl Typhoid (Salmonella Gallinarum) have been confirmed during the year, in unrelated flocks. The continued prevalence of Mareks disease in both vaccinated and unvaccinated birds has been highlighted in this year’s Reports, and the causes and prevention of vaccine breaks were summarised in the January - March Report. Data is presented showing a continued decline in Necrotic Enteritis in conventional broilers, and of blackhead (histomoniasis) in turkeys.

The statistics on page 2 show a decline in the numbers of all four categories of chicks placed, both since the last quarter and compared with the fourth quarter of 2005, and there was an overall decline in UK poultry meat production of 2.45% since last year. These figures are impacted by economic factors and it remains to be seen what the trends will be in 2007.