ASSESSING AND MANAGING THE OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH ANTIMICROBIAL TREATMENT OF CLOSTRIDIAL DERMATITIS IN TURKEY PRODUCTION

Clostridial dermatitis (CD) in turkeys is caused by Clostridium septicum and C. perfringens and remains one of the most important diseases in turkey production. The majority of antimicrobial use in turkey production is directed towards CD. Penicillin and lincomycin are the two medically important, water-soluble antimicrobials most commonly used for the treatment and control of CD. Unfortunately, prevention measures are imperfect and difficult to implement; thus the U.S. turkey industry is challenged to reduce the antimicrobial therapy this disease requires.Given these challenges, the long-term goals of this project are not only to help the U.S. turkey industry reduce the need for antimicrobials through reductions in the incidence of Clostridial dermatitis, but when antimicrobials are needed, to help veterinarians ensure they are practicing good antimicrobial stewardship and are using antimicrobials responsibly. The supporting objectives are to:1) Analyze genomes of Clostridium spp. isolates collected from commercial turkey production systems and identify defining genomic traits linked to CD, including virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes and other phylogenetic/genomic traits;2) Examine the short- and long-term effects of antimicrobial use for the treatment and control of clinical CD on commercial turkey production systems and their microbiota;3) Deliver intervention options for managing CD in turkey production through a diversity of extension and outreach activities, including the development of software tools to aid stakeholders in comparing CD management options.