Investigation of Natural Disease Outbreaks

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The poultry industry is responsible for the production of large quantities of inexpensive animal protein for domestic consumption and international markets. Disease management is important in maintaining the low cost of this product. This project provides for expansion of production expertise and the development of new tools for the diagnosis and management of poultry disease.

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APPROACH: Routine procedures such as field investiagtion, necropsy, microbiology, serology, virus isolation, histopathology, and molecular techniques will be applied for the diagnosis of disease in commercial poultry. Procedures set forth in but not limited to those in Isolation and Identification of Avian Pathogens published by the American Association of Avian Pathologists will be used. Controlled mini-trials will be used to study the pathogenesis of disease agents isolated from clinical submissions. New diagnostic techniques will be applied as they are developed and proven.

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PROGRESS: 2001/10 TO 2004/09<BR>
The Diagnostic Services/Teaching Laboratory of the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center received 5490 clinical case accessions during this reporting period. The major activity of this project is to provide clinical diagnostic support for the commercial poultry industry of Georgia. This is accomplished through the application of field investigation, acquisition of flock and farm histories, application of analytical, microbiological, histopathology and testing using classical and molecular methods. Activity is characterized by clinical case investigations which might include investigation of vaccine reactions causing increased condemnations at processing using serology, histopathology and molecular detection of disease agents. Another scenario might include investigation of early chick mortality which might include bacteriological and mycological cultures. Another might be investigation of a clinical case through molecular agent detection protocols used for the detection of infectious agents. The professional staff and students often investigate more chronic problems on farms within the region. These are typically multi-faceted problems that take a more long term approach. These cases are assigned as a student project under direct supervision of an experienced clinician. These investigations bring recommendations and changes in vaccination programs and management practices which frequently allow that grower to become competitive again. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has permitted generation of more useful and timely information often in hours rather than days or weeks typical of classical diagnostic techniques for infectious bronchitis and Mycoplasma. REV, Newcastle disease, Avian leukosis, Salmonella serotyping, Avian adenovirus, and Avian pneumovirus (through a cooperating lab) PCRs have been added to the PCRs available. The PCRs that have been placed on-line have provided useful and timely diagnostic information. Research continues and new PCR tests will be applied to diagnostics as applications are developed. Time continues to be spent helping poultry companies implement and maintain HACCP plans, standards and compliance. These plans help poultry companies maintain compliance with government standards for control of food-borne microbes. More time will be spent in the future and more research effort continues to be made in the area of food safety. We have partially completed an internet web site which allows clients to submit specimens and retrieve case reports as well as do serological data analysis on-line. The clients can print or download the lab data from these analyses. This capability is especially useful to clinical veterinarians that have to travel. Laboratory activity is represented by 5,490 accessions, 2,512 bacterial cultures, 136 antimicrobial susceptibilities, 91,821 ELISA tests, 50,224 IBV-HI tests, 1,807 diagnostic PCR tests, 10,059 Mycoplasma plate agglutination tests, 3,695 Agar gel precipitin tests, and 299 necropsies.
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IMPACT: 2001/10 TO 2004/09<BR>
The impact of this diagnostic support is the low cost protein available through commercial poultry production. The development of new diagnostic techniques provides for more rapid and specific diagnosis reducing losses due to disease and lessening the time obtain specific solutions. The speed and specificity all translate into maintaining low consumer prices for a quality food product.