Risk factors for necrotic enteritis identified
Necrotic enteritis, a growing problem
in the poultry industry, is not only linked
to coccidiosis and wet litter, it is also
associated with the use of ammonia
and the presence of plasterboard walls,
according to researchers from the
University of Liverpool.
To determine the prevalence and risk
factors for necrotic enteritis in broilers,
a survey of managers was conducted
among 857 farms rearing broilers for nine
poultry companies in the United Kingdom.
Additional information on disease occurrence
was obtained from veterinary
postmortem reports.
The results, based on a 75% response rate,
indicated that over 32% of the managers
had observed a case of necrotic enteritis in
at least one flock during 2001, say P. G.
Hermans and K. L. Morgan in a published
article (Avian Pathology, February 2007).
It comes as no surprise that they found a
"strong association" between necrotic
enteritis and the presence of wet litter and
coccidiosis, but they also found that the
use of ammonia as a disinfectant for
coccidial oocysts appeared to be an independent
risk factor for necrotic enteritis.
In addition, there was a positive association
between the use of plasterboard walls in
poultry houses and the occurrence of
necrotic enteritis, the investigators say.
[Editor’s note: For more on necrotic enteritis,
see the Special Report beginning on page 12.]
Spring 2008
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