Agricultural use of antimicrobials in subtherapeutic concentrations is increasing in response to the rising demand for food animal products worldwide. In India, the use of antimicrobials in food ...animal production is unregulated. Research suggests that many clinically important antimicrobials are used indiscriminately. This is the largest study to date in India that surveys poultry production to test for antimicrobial resistance and the occurrence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) modulated by farming and managerial practices.
Our goal was to survey poultry production for resistance to eleven clinically relevant antimicrobials and phenotypic occurrence of ESBLs as modulated by farming and managerial practices.
Eighteen poultry farms from Punjab were surveyed, and 1,556
isolates from 530 birds were tested for susceptibility to 11 antimicrobials using the disk diffusion method and validated using VITEK 2 (bioMérieux, Marcy-L’Étoile, France). Samples from 510 of these birds were phenotypically tested for ESBL production using the combination disk method and confirmed using VITEK 2. Generalized linear mixed models were used to infer differences in resistance profiles associated with different farming practices and facility types.
Resistance profiles were significantly different between broiler and layer farms. Broiler farms were 2.2 ampicillin (AMP),
=0.017 to 23 nalidixic acid (NX),
<0.001 times more likely to harbor resistant
strains than layer farms. Adjusting for farm type (broiler vs. layer), the odds of resistance (although not statistically significant) to all antimicrobials except nitrofurantoin (NIT) were higher in independent facilities (IUs) as compared to contracted facilities (CFs). Increased prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR; 94% compared to 60% in layers), including prevalence of ESBL-producing strains (87% compared to 42% in layers), was observed in broiler farms.
Our findings suggest that unregulated use of clinically relevant antimicrobials in Indian broiler and layer farms may contribute to the emergence of resistance and support the need to curb the nontherapeutic use of medically important antimicrobials in food animal production. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP292.
H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are a major concern for the poultry sector and human health in countries where this subtype is endemic. By fitting a model simulating H9N2 AIV transmission to data ...from a field experiment, we characterise the epidemiology of the virus in a live bird market in Bangladesh. Many supplied birds arrive already exposed to H9N2 AIVs, resulting in many broiler chickens entering the market as infected, and many indigenous backyard chickens entering with pre-existing immunity. Most susceptible chickens become infected within one day spent at the market, owing to high levels of viral transmission within market and short latent periods, as brief as 5.3 hours. Although H9N2 AIV transmission can be substantially reduced under moderate levels of cleaning and disinfection, effective risk mitigation also requires a range of additional interventions targeting markets and other nodes along the poultry production and distribution network.
Poultry is widely produced and consumed meat globally. Its demand is expected to continue increasing to meet the animal protein requirement for ever-increasing human population. Thus, the challenge ...that poultry scientists and industry face are to produce sufficient amount of poultry meat in the most efficient way. In the past, using antibiotics to promote the growth of poultry and manage gut microbiota was a norm. However, due to concerns over potential fatalistic impacts on food animals and indirectly to humans, their use as feed additives are banned or regulated in several jurisdictions. In this changed context, several alternative strategies have been proposed with some success that mimics the functions of antibiotics as growth promoters and modulate gut microbiota for their beneficial roles. These include the use of probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and exogenous enzyme, among others. Gut microbiota and their metabolic products improve nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, and overall health and growth performance of poultry. This paper reviews the available information on the effect of feed additives used to modulate intestinal microbiota of poultry and their effects on overall health and growth performance. Understanding these functions and interactions will help to develop new dietary and managerial strategies that will ultimately lead to enhanced feed utilization and improved growth performance of poultry. This review will help future researchers and industry to identify alternative feed ingredients having properties like prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, and exogenous enzymes.
Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is a condition that causes necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads in growing broilers and turkeys. This condition not only causes downgrades and ...condemnations of saleable chicken paws, the portion of the leg below the spur, but is also an animal welfare concern in both the United States and in Europe.. Revenue from chicken paws in 2008 alone was worth $280 million. Harvesting large, unblemished paws has become a priority to poultry companies all over the world. Research on this subject has been ongoing since the 1940s and has looked into many different areas including nutrition, environment, and genetics. Early research looked at nutritional deficiencies such as riboflavin and biotin mainly in turkey poults. This early research was most likely looking at a separate form of dermatitis than what is being investigated now. Recent findings have suggested that there is a myriad of interacting factors that lead to FPD. Litter moisture appears to be the most likely culprit in the onset of this condition. Research has also shown a possible genetic link in the susceptibility to development of FPD lesions. Current chicken paw prices have skyrocketed due to a large export market in Asia. To produce unblemished paws for both increased profit and comply with current animal welfare recommendations, further research is needed to understand how the condition develops and what strategies can be used to prevent it.
Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg is isolated from poultry-producing regions around the world. In Brazil,
Heidelberg has been frequently detected in poultry flocks, slaughterhouses, and chicken ...meat. The goal of the present study was to assess the population structure, recent temporal evolution, and some important genetic characteristics of
Heidelberg isolated from Brazilian poultry farms. Phylogenetic analysis of 68
. Heidelberg genomes sequenced here and additional whole-genome data from NCBI demonstrated that all isolates from the Brazilian poultry production chain clustered into a monophyletic group, here called
Heidelberg Brazilian poultry lineage (SH-BPL). Bayesian analysis defined the time of the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) as 2004, and the overall population size (
) was constant until 2008, when an ∼10-fold
increase was observed until circa 2013. SH-BPL presented at least two plasmids with replicons ColpVC (
= 68; 100%), IncX1 (
= 66; 97%), IncA/C2 (
= 65; 95.5%), ColRNAI (
= 43; 63.2%), IncI1 (
= 32; 47%), ColMG828, Col156, IncHI2A, IncHI2, IncQ1, IncX4, IncY, and TrfA (each with
< 4; <4% each). Antibiotic resistance genes were found, with high frequencies of
(
= 68; 100%),
(
= 68; 100%),
(34) (
= 68; 100%),
(
= 64; 94.1%), and
(
= 56; 82.3%), along with an overall multidrug resistance (MDR) profile. Ten Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI1 to SPI5, SPI9, and SPI11 to SPI14) and 139 virulence genes were also detected. The SH-BPL profile was like those of other previous
Heidelberg isolates from poultry around the world in the 1990s. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the recent introduction (2004) and high level of dissemination of an MDR
Heidelberg lineage in Brazilian poultry operations.
Heidelberg is the most frequent serovar in several broiler farms from the main Brazilian poultry-producing regions. Therefore, avian-source foods (mainly chicken carcasses) commercialized in the country and exported to other continents are contaminated with this foodborne pathogen, generating several national and international economic losses. In addition, isolates of this serovar are usually resistant to antibiotics and can cause human invasive and septicemic infection, representing a public health concern. This study demonstrates the use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to obtain epidemiological information for one
Heidelberg lineage highly spread among Brazilian poultry farms. This information will help to define biosecurity measures to control this important Salmonella serovar in Brazilian and worldwide poultry operations.
The poultry industry faces several obstacles and challenges, including the changes in global temperature, increase in the per capita demand for meat and eggs, and the emergence and spread of various ...diseases. Among these, environmental challenges are one of the most severe hurdles impacting the growth and productivity of poultry. In particular, the increasing frequency and severity of heat waves over the past few years represent a major challenge, and this is expected to worsen in the coming decades. Chickens are highly susceptible to high ambient temperatures (thermal stress), which negatively affect their growth and productivity, leading to enormous economic losses. In the light of global warming, these losses are expected to increase in the near future. Specifically, the worsening of climate change and the rise in global temperatures have augmented the adverse effects of heat on poultry production worldwide. At present, the world population is approximately 7.9 billion, and it has been predicted to reach 9.3 billion by 2050 and approximately 11 billion by 2100, implying a great demand for protein supply; therefore, strategies to mitigate future poultry challenges must be urgently devised. To date, several mitigation measures have been adopted to minimize the negative effects of heat stress in poultry. Of these, thermal acclimation at the postnatal stage or throughout the embryonic stages has been explored as a promising approach; however, for large-scale application, this approach warrants further investigation to determine the suitable temperature and poultry age. Moreover, molecular mechanisms governing thermal conditioning are poorly understood. To this end, we sought to expand our knowledge of thermal conditioning in poultry, which may serve as a valuable reference to improve the thermotolerance of chickens via nutritional management and vitagene regulation. Vitagenes regulate the responses of poultry to diverse stresses. In recent years, nutritionists have paid close attention to bioactive compounds such as resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin administered alone or in combination. These compounds activate vitagenes and other regulators of the antioxidant defense system, such as nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2. Overall, thermal conditioning may be an effective strategy to mitigate the negative effects of heat stress. In this context, the present review synthesizes information on the adverse impacts of thermal stress, elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying thermal conditioning and its effects on the acquisition of tolerance to acute heat stress in later life. Finally, the role of some polyphenolic compounds, such as resveratrol, curcumin, and quercetin, in attenuating heat stress through the activation of the antioxidant defense system in poultry are discussed.
•Heat stress is responsible for many physiological and metabolic dysfunctions that cause a setback to the poultry industry.•Thermal conditioning is a promising mitigation strategy to alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress in poultry.•Vitagenes are a new direction to improve antioxidant protection to overcome the consequences of heat stress in poultry.
Histomonosis is a parasitic disease of poultry with worldwide prevalence. The disease can cause morbidity and mortality in chicken and turkey flocks entailing severe economic losses. In the first ...half of the last century, there was a high demand to control histomonosis as the turkey industry was severely affected by the disease. Consequently, numerous chemical compounds were tested for their efficacy against Histomonas meleagridis with varying outcomes, that are summarized and specified in this review. At the same time, preliminary attempts to protect birds with cultured histomonads indicated the possibility of vaccination. Several years ago antihistomonal drugs were banned in countries with tight regulations on pharmaceuticals in order to comply with the demand of consumer protection. As a consequence, outbreaks of histomonosis in poultry flocks increased and the disease became endemic again. New approaches to prevent and treat histomonosis are, therefore, needed and recently performed studies focused on various areas to combat the disease, from alternative chemotherapeutic substances to plant-derived compounds until vaccination, altogether reviewed here. Considering existing regulations and the overall outcome of experimental studies, it can be concluded that vaccination is very promising, despite the fact that various challenges need to be addressed until the first ever developed vaccine based upon live flagellates in human or bird medicine can be marketed.
This article describes some of the milestones in research concerned with protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria that infect birds and cause the disease coccidiosis. The time period covered is from ...1891, when oocysts were first found in the ceca of diseased chickens, to the present. Progress in our understanding has lagged behind that of other protozoan parasites such as Toxoplasma and Plasmodium despite the enormous importance of Eimeria to animal livestock production. Nevertheless, applied research by universities, government agencies, and private industry has resulted in the successful development of methods of control, research that continues today. The topics covered and the references provided are selective and include life cycles and biology, pathology, ultrastructure, biochemistry, immunity, genetics, host cell invasion, species identification, taxonomy, chemotherapy, vaccination, and literature concerned with avian coccidiosis. This review is primarily concerned with the avian species of Eimeria that infect poultry, but some important advances, principally in immunology, have been made using species that infect rodents and rabbits. These are included where appropriate.
In the last few years, different surveillances have been published in Africa, especially in northern countries, regarding antimicrobial resistance among husbandry animals. Information is still ...scarce, but the available data show a worrying picture. Although the highest resistance rates have been described against tetracycline, penicillins and sulphonamides, prevalence of plasmid‐mediated quinolone resistance genes and extended spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL) are being increasingly reported. Among ESBLs, the CTX‐M‐1 group was dominant in most African surveys. Within this group, CTX‐M‐15 was the main variant both in animals and humans, except in Tunisia where CTX‐M‐1 was more frequently detected among Escherichia coli from poultry. Certain blaCTX‐M‐15‐harbouring clones (ST131/B2 or ST405/D) are mainly identified in humans, but they have also been reported in livestock species from Tanzania, Nigeria or Tunisia. Moreover, several reports suggest an inter‐host circulation of specific plasmids (e.g. blaCTX‐M‐1‐carrying IncI1/ST3 in Tunisia, IncY‐ and Inc‐untypeable replicons co‐harbouring qnrS1 and blaCTX‐M‐15 in Tanzania and the worldwide distributed blaCTX‐M‐15‐carrying IncF‐type plasmids). International trade of poultry meat seems to have contributed to the spread of other ESBL variants, such as CTX‐M‐14, and clones. Furthermore, first descriptions of OXA‐48‐ and OXA‐181‐producing E. coli have been recently documented in cattle from Egypt, and the emergent plasmid‐mediated colistin resistance mcr‐1 gene has been also identified in chickens from Algeria, Tunisia and South Africa. These data reflect the urgent need of a larger regulation in the use of veterinary drugs and the implementation of surveillance programmes in order to decelerate the advance of antimicrobial resistance in this continent.
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