Some 700 poultry health professionals from more than 25 countries will gather in St. Louis, Missouri, July 9-11, for the 2024 conference of the American Association of Avian Pathologists.
Hundreds more are expected to register to gain access to approximately 50 recorded presentations that will be available to attendees and non-attendees following the conference.
“As always, the annual AAAP meeting presents a great opportunity to expand your knowledge base while networking with the top minds in the industry,” says Suzanne Dougherty, DVM, executive vice president of AAAP.
The 3-day AAAP conference will feature nearly 300 oral presentations and posters focused on poultry viral and bacterial diseases, coccidiosis, enteric health, vaccines, diagnostics, epidemiology, case reports and more. The full program is expected to be posted on the AAAP’s website early this spring.
Featured speakers
The AAAP conference’s keynote speaker will be Marc de Beer, PhD, president of Aviagen North America, who will discuss “Future Perspectives of the Global Poultry Industry.”
“Emerging technologies like precision farming, IoT, automation and genomics selection are poised to transform poultry production,” de Beer says.
“However, challenges, such as trade barriers, geopolitical factors, disease outbreaks, misinformation and NGO influence must be addressed. Transparency and collaboration within the poultry value chain will be essential for resilience and adaptation in the face of these challenges.”
Holly Sellers, PhD, professor at the University of Georgia, will lecture on “The History of Avian Reovirus.” Historically, vaccines administered to breeders provided protection against tenosynovitis and viral arthritis in the US.
“Incidence of disease fluctuates throughout the year and generally is not restricted to one genetic cluster,” Sellers says. “In fact, high levels of genetic diversity exist in reovirus populations from clinical cases of tenosynovitis/viral arthritis. Development of new vaccines are currently in progress and will be necessary to contribute to the control of reoviral disease in poultry.”
Cherie Buisson, DVM, owner of Helping Hands Pet Hospice and A Happy Vet, Florida, will speak at the Women’s Network Lunch. Her talk, “If You Think You Suck, You’re Probably Wrong,” will talk about combatting a condition known as imposter syndrome. “Even people you think have it all together may share this affliction with you,” she says.
Gut health symposium
Separate of the main scientific program, the AAAP conference will host a 4-hour morning symposium, “Maintaining Intestinal Health with Non-Antibiotic Compounds,” which will feature more than a dozen oral presentations on managing the poultry microbiome to optimize flock health, welfare and performance.
The AAAP conference will be held at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. For more information on the conference, click here.
Editor’s note: Content on Modern Poultry’s Industry Insights pages is provided and/or commissioned by our sponsors, who assume full responsibility for its accuracy and compliance.
