Impact of Intestinal disorders on health status in poultry flocks. DSM European Poultry Symposium Munich, Germany, 2012. Hafez, H.M.

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Institute of Poultry Diseases
Free University Berlin, Germany
Impact of intestinal disorders
on health status in poultry flocks
Hafez Mohamed Hafez
Feed
Meat
GI
Basic role of poultry production
Chicks

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Rapid growth

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Enteric disorders
What is the problem ?
Economic impact
*- High Mortality
*- Increase medication and /or vaccination cost
*- Uneven growth
*- Sub-clinical infection cause damage
to intestinal host cells and accompanied
with high economic losses
*- Bad feed conversion

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chick
Fixed Cost
Feed
60-70%
10-15%
20-25%
Average main cost factors in commercial poultry
Feed
Structure
Palatability
Energy content
Pellet quality
Management
Available feed space
Available Water space
Distribution of feeders
Distribution of waterers
Air quality
Temperature
Stocking density
Viral agents
Reo, Rota, Astro, Entro, Parvo
ND, Influenza A
Bacterial agents
Salmonellas, Arizona, E. coli,
Clostridia
Mycotic agents
Candida
Parasites
Coccidia, Ascaridia
InfectiousNon infectious
Some Possible causes of enteric disorders of broiler

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Litter
condition
Air
temperature
Relative
humidity
Ventilation
rate
Feed
Stocking
density
Non infectious causes
Causes of Enteric disorders

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*- Animal welfare
*- Use of vet. drugs
*- Feed additives
*- Food safety
Legislations related to:
Cause of Enteric disorders
History of the EU ban on AMGP
EU ban is based on the
Precautionary Principle !!
To prevent/minimise the risk
of spreading the antibiotic
resistance

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*- 1997 EU “suspended” avoparcin
*- 1998 EU ban for 4 AMGP :
- Spiramycin
- Tylosin
- Virginiamycin
- Zinc bacitracin
History of the EU ban on AMGP
Total ban of all
growth promoting
antibiotics except
for Coccidiostats
Anti-microbial growth promoters (AGP’S)
1st January 2006

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*- Reduced performances
(BW & FCR)
*- Rearing husbandry problems
(wet litter and high ammonia level)
*- Animal welfare problem
(Foot pad dermatitis)
*- Health problems
(enteric disorders: dysbacteriosis and
Clostridial infections).
The consequences of the ban of AGPs
Transmission of infectious diseases
Vertical Transmission
Horizontal Transmission

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*- Clinical signs
*- Gross lesions
Problems related to diagnosis
not specific
Many factors and
agents are involved
in enteric disorders
Problems related to diagnosis

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Agent Prevalence
REO ++
Corona ++
Astro +/-
Adeno +/-
Coccidia +
Salmonella infection +/-
E. Coli (R) +++
Clostridial Enteritis (NE) +++
Some current ongoing infectious enteric diseases
Bacterial Enteritis Challenge
(Van der Sluis (2010). World Poultry 26(10):26-29.)

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Bacterial enteritis (BE)
(Van der Sluis (2010). World Poultry 26(10):26-29.)
Clostridial Enteritis Challenge
(Van der Sluis (2010). World Poultry 26(10):26-29.)

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Clostridia bacteria
*- Growth strict anaerobic
*- Short multiplication time
(Every 8 to 10 minutes)
*- Opt. growth: 12°- 50°C
*- Opt. growth: pH 6.0 - 7.0
Clostridia bacteria
*- Widespread in:
- Soils
- Feed
- Litter
- GIT of diseased and healthy
birds

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Clostridia bacteria
*- Spores are very resistant to:
- Heat
- Desiccation
- Acids
- Many chemical disinfectants
CP are not very invasive
and are not able
to penetrate healthy gut
mucous membrane
Clostridium perfringens

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Predisposing factors
Intestinal stasis
Increase feed consumption
due to a high growth rate
Clostridium perfringens
*- Diet high in energy
*- High level of protein and fishmeal
*- Consumption of high fibre litter
and a wheat based diet
Predisposing factors
Feed composition
Clostridium perfringens

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*- Coccidiosis
*- Salmonellosis
*- Dysbacteriosis
Predisposing factors
Damage of the mucosa of GI tract
Clostridium perfringens
Dysbacteriosis complex
*- No real disease
*- Mortality = normal
*- Feed intake reduced
*- Water intake normal or higher
*- Diarrhoea
*- Foamy caecal droppings
*- Post Mortem: thin content in the
intestine (Fabri, 2004)

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Due to dysbacteriosis,
the environment in the
upper part of the intestine
may be favourable for
C. perfringens proliferation,
resulting in NE.
(Fabri, 2000)
Dysbacteriosis complex
Toxins production
Small intestine
Migration ?
Proliferation
C. perfringens
Necrotic Enteritis (NE)

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Clinical signs
*- Between: W 3 - 5
*- Mortality : 2 - 40%
*- Sudden depression
*- Inappetance
*- Tend to huddle
*- Diarrhoea
Necrotic Enteritis (NE)
*- No visible clinical signs on the farm
*- On the processing line high rate of
- Liver condemnation
- Downgrading carcasses
Cholangiohepatitis
Severe economic losses
Clostridium perfringens

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*- Mycotoxin-contaminated feed
*- Vitamin B6 and E deficiency
*- Inadequate levels of sulphur-
containing dietary amino acids
*- High levels of dietary copper
Gizzard erosions
*- Pelleted feed
*- Certain fish meals in feed
*- Adenovirus
*- C. perfringens
Gizzard erosions

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Clostridial Enteritis
Should we control
C. Perfringens
(Necrotic Enteritis)
*- To improve the performances
and parameters
*- To improve the poultry health
*- To improve the animal welfare
issues
Control of Necrotic Enteritis

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Control of Necrotic Enteritis
*- To reduce the production
costs
*- To improve the food
safety issues
*- Monitoring
*- Farm hygiene
*- Feed quality
*- Treatment
*- Vaccination
*- Stabilization the GI flora
Control of Necrotic Enteritis

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Monitoring
Control of Necrotic Enteritis
*- Litter
*- Dropping
*- Appearance
*- Content of the intestinal tract
*- Inflammation of the gut
Excess ammonia
Respiratory infections
Kerato-conjunctivitis
Comprise vaccine response
Wet Litter
Excess humidity
Enhanced coccidiosis
Aggravate breast blister
Enhanced leg disorders
Enhanced bacterial infections
Wet litter

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Greasy capped litter Nitrogen in litter
high fat in faeces high nitrogen in faeces
Pododermatitis burning
breast blisters
Litter
*- Feed quality
Control of Necrotic Enteritis

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Optimal diet composition
*- Quality feed ingredients are
very important and affect the
micro flora
*- Improve protein-balance in
the diet
*- Improve the amino acid profile
Improve protein-balance in the diet
*- Avoid high levels of fermentable
protein
*- Use complete digestible amino
acid profile in the feed

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Feed production technology
Particle size in the diet
coarse mash or 3 mm pellets
in the diet stay longer in the
crop and gizzard
pH in gizzard lower
Better pre-digestion
Particle size in the diet
*- better buffering of the feed
*- better activity of pancreas
enzymes
*- better digestion
*- less fermentation
Feed production technology
(Langhout, 2005)

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*- Treatment
Control of Necrotic Enteritis
*- Penicillin
*- Amoxicillin
*- Ampicillin
*- Tylosin
*- Erythromycin
*- Dihydrostreptomycin
*- Tetracyclin
Treatment

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*- Vaccination
Control of Necrotic Enteritis
Vaccination ???
Broiler flocks with high titers of
maternal antibodies against
C. perfringens toxin
had lower mortality during the
production period
(Heier et al., 2001)
Necrotic Enteritis (NE)

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*- Stabilization the GI flora
Control of Necrotic Enteritis
Additive Possible mode of action
Prebiotics Promotion of the growth of desirable bacteria
in the GIT
Immune
stimulating
Reducing sub-clinical infections via an improved
development of the immune system
Enzymes Elimination of the anti-microbial effects of
carbohydrates
Acids Inhibition of the growth of bacteria
Essential oils Inhibition of the growth of bacteria, improving
the development of the immune system,
improving the palatability of the diet
Probiotics Introduction of desirable bacteria into the GIT
Possible alternative strategies

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Prebiotics
Several products are available, but
only a few meet the critical point of
the definition
Selective stimulation of one or a
limited number of bacteria within the
gut microflora
Prebiotics
Products used in poultry
Inulin + oligofructose/fructo-
oligosaccharides
of natural or synthetic origin
Mannan-oligosaccharides
of natural origin (yeast or other) products
based on yeast also contain beta-glucans

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Enzymes
The effects of diet and
Carbohydrase enzyme on growth
performance and gut health of
broiler challenged with
C. perfringens
(Jia et al., 2008)
Diet acidification
*- Organic acids widely used as
preservatives in feed
*- Organic acids have anti-
bacterial properties
*- Mixtures have stronger effects
due to synergism

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Acid
Effective
against
Less effective
against
Ineffective
against
Formic acid Yeast & bacteria
(E.coli & Salmonella)
Lactic acid
bacteria & moulds
-
Acetic acid Many bacteria spp. Yeasts & moulds -
Propionic acid Moulds Bacteria Yeasts
Butyric acid Bacteria
(E.coli & Salmonella)
- -
Lactic acid Bacteria - Yeasts & moulds
Citric acid - Bacteria -
Malic acid Some bacteria &
yeasts
- -
Sorbic acid Yeasts, moulds &
some bacteria
- -
Antibacterial spectrum of organic acids
Essential oils (EO)
*- Synonyms
- volatile oils
- ethereal oils
- etheric oils
- plant extracts

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*- Volatile materials of plants
*- Give plants characteristic
odor and flavor
*- Found in various parts of
herbs and spices
*- Obtained by steam distillation
Essential oils (EO)
*- Botanical source
*- Time of harvesting
*- Isolation technique
*- Weather conditions
*- Part of plant used
*- Geographical location
Essential oils
Composition dependent on :

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Combinations of essential
oil components exhibit
significant greater effects
than individual components
(Chang et al., 2001; Zenner et al., 2003)
Antimicrobial activity of essential oils
Probiotics
FAO - Definition
Live microorganisms which,
when administered in adequate
amounts, confer a health
benefit on the host

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Probiotics
A lot of products on the market
Based on several species:
Bacteria:
Lactobacillus
Enterococcus
Bacillus
Pediococcus
…
Yeasts:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Probiotics
Positive impact on helping to
maintain the balance of
microflora in the intestinal
tract of poultry and
livestock.

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Possible alternative products
*- Appearance a lot of different
products with different modes
of action
*- Beneficial effects, sometimes
somewhat hard to measure
Since AGP ban:
(Vancraeynest, 2008)
Possible alternative products
*- Even if alternative are developed,
the rate of success is not always
comparable to AGP in specific
conditions.
*-The use of alternative needs to be
accompanied by sound management
coccidia control and hygiene.

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Possible alternative products
Intestinal disorders
Should we control
Intestinal disorders ?
Finally

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*- To improve the performances
and parameters
*- To improve the poultry health
*- To improve the animal welfare
issues
Control of Intestinal disorders