Page 2 - National Poultry Newspaper

Disease, sickness and recovery
Poultry Industry Calendar of Events
2022
MAY 10-11 – British Pig & Poultry Fair, Stoneleigh UK, pigandpoultry.org.uk
MAY 15-17 – Poultry Information Exchange and Australasian Milling Conference (PIX/AMC), www.pixamc. com.au
MAY 31 - JUN 2 – VIV Europe 2022, Netherlands, viveurope.nl
NOV 6-10 – SIMA Paris, France, en.simaonline.com
NOV 8-10 – European Symposium on Poultry Genetics, Hannover Germany, www.espg2022.org
2023
SEP 4-8 – Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, Verona Italy, www.wvpac2021.com
How to supply event details: Send all details to National Poultry Newspaper, PO Box 162, Wynnum Qld 4178, call 07 3286 1833 or email: design@collins.media
poultrynews.com.au
07 3286 1833
EGG farmers dread dis- ease – they work hard should birds become sick and look forward to the recovery of egg farming once the storm passes.
uted to the consumption of eggs.
Bio and border security
Infection of hens is usu- ally subclinical and dif- ficult to detect.
It is therefore important to acknowledge the work undertaken by govern- ment biosecurity and cus- toms officers – for every illegal egg product col- lected at our borders and every vessel checked to ensure birds do not come into our country that could have disease, these efforts and the diligence of our egg farmers help to ensure our industry remains safe. Imports
There is one mindset in relation to diseases im- pacting the egg industry at a domestic level and an entirely different one when turning our minds to the impact of what these diseases mean, both overseas and if they sud- denly turn up on our door- step.
Biosecurity to keep it out of farms, along with vaccination and in-feed preventatives, are the most effective control measures.
It has also been passed from birds to humans who are in close contact with poultry or other birds. Newcastle disease
ILT is a highly conta- gious respiratory disease of chickens that can cause significant problems in unvaccinated or poorly
It can be carried inside eggs.
In layers and breeders, it is usually subclinical but causes a reduction in the number of eggs laid per hen over the production cycle.
Newcastle disease is a highly contagious disease of birds caused by a para- myxo virus.
Salmonella typhimu- rium is the most common cause of human gastroen- teritis that can be attrib-
Once infected, flocks can be carriers.
by MELINDA HASHIMOTO CEO
Salmonella pullorum
The diseases of main concern to the egg indus- try are defined below. Avian influenza
Salmonella enteritidis, typhimurium, pullorum and gallisepticum Salmonella enteritidis
Testing does occur in or- der that a certificate can be issued providing evi- dence of a SP-free flock.
For the above reasons, it is important that shell eggs are not imported into Australia when a risk is posed.
Bird flu – also known as avian influenza – is a type A influenza virus.
Salmonella enteritidis is a bacterial disease of poultry and can cause foodborne illness in hu- mans such as gastroenteri- tis – commonly known as ‘gastro’ – when contami- nated food is consumed.
This is important for ex- port purposes.
Farmers understand do- mestic disease risks but is it the unknown over- seas strains and those that could mutate that lead to uncertainty.
It is lethal to poultry and is potentially fatal in hu- mans.
Compulsory vaccination of all commercial layers has ensured this disease is currently under control in Australia.
Salmonella pullorum is exotic to Australia. Salmonella gallisepticum
Bird flu spreads between both wild and domesti- cated birds.
The risk occurs if New- castle disease strains are introduced into Australia and then mutate. Infectious laryngotra- cheitis
The infection is almost impossible to eradicate from a flock, so birds must be euthanised.
Mycoplasma gallisep- ticum is commonly in- volved in the polymicro- bial chronic respiratory disease.
Our industry is very for- tunate to have a number of expert poultry veteri- narians who continue to monitor overseas strains when reported and have strong relationships with producers so that if a farmer has an issue, they can determine the disease and impacts at the earliest stage of prognosis.
Birds affected by this disease are fowls, turkeys, geese, ducks, pheasants, partridges, guinea fowl and other wild and cap- tive birds, including rat- ites such as ostriches and emus.
vaccinated flocks.
The Australian com- mercial chicken industry is free of salmonella pul- lorum.
Healthy chicks.
The current vaccines did not protect as well when this new variant emerged.
• australianeggs.org.au/ what-we-do/leading-re search/salmonella-enter idis-response-plan
Salmonella typhimurium
This virus is exotic to Australia.
Overseas strains
Thanks to Dr Rod Jen- ner for his technical assis- tance and definitions from various state government agencies.
Overseas strains of dis- ease could not only deci- mate our industry, but a further issue is that over- seas virus or disease in- cursions may mutate to combine with local strains leading to new variants.
Further resources in re- lation to poultry disease are listed below.
Not only can this oc- cur through a disease but also through the use of vaccines.
• agriculture.vic.gov. au/biosecurity/animal- diseases/poultry-diseases/ avian-influenza-bird-flu
In the past, a situation occurred where a shortage of ILT vaccine resulted in a new vaccination being used that recombined with local strains, resulting in virulent ILT.
• australianeggs.org.au/ for-farmers/resources/avi an-influenza-guidelines
• agriculture.vic.gov. au/biosecurity/animal- diseases/poultry-diseases/ salmonella-enteritidis
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Page 2 – National Poultry Newspaper, April 2022
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