Dust particles in poultry houses can exacerbate the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with the virus on dust particles remaining infectious for up to 17 hours. By the birds’ activity, it can easily be aerosolized into the environment and, by the ventilation system’s airflow, can be transmitted within the barn and from barn to barn.
Regular monitoring of broiler drinking-water consumption helps track flock health and performance. A sudden dip or downward trend can alert the producer to potentially serious health or production problems.
Studying genetic material from the air in layer poultry-production facilities has shed new light on potential opportunistic pathogens with antibiotic-resistance genes.
The poultry gut is more than just a digestive organ — it’s a dynamic ecosystem that plays a critical role in bird health, disease resistance and overall performance. As the industry continues moving beyond blanket antibiotic use, producers and researchers alike are zooming in on the gut microbiome and how to manage it more effectively.
By Matthew J. Hardy, MSc
AgriNerds – Co-owner, Waterfowl Biologist and Co-director of Ecological Modeling
Chester County, Pennsylvania
Airborne bacteria and viruses that cling to the dust in poultry houses pose substantial health risks. Lingying Zhao, PhD, agriculture air quality specialist and Extension educator at The Ohio State University, discussed her insights on dust mitigation and collection during a May 2025 webinar sponsored by the University of Georgia.
Questions remain around the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza into and within poultry houses, but the infectious nature of the virus is its biggest weapon, according to a USDA expert.
Controlling IBV through vaccination requires knowledge of the circulating field strains. For this reason, surveillance is critical. Mark W. Jackwood, PhD, and Jose Linares, DVM, describe Ceva’s Scientific Support and Investigation Unit that uses real-time quantitative RT-PCR panels to rapidly detect multiple IBV types.
Enterococcus cecorum was first reported in the US in 2009. Disease caused by this pathogen poses considerable welfare and economic challenges for broiler producers and currently has no effective antibiotic-free treatment. For the past 15 years, Mitsu Suyemoto, research specialist at North Carolina State University, has conducting pioneering research on this emerging pathogen with Luke Borst, DVM, PhD. Of note, their team developed many of the key assays used to study E. cecorum today.
Research led by Phillip Yeboah, PhD candidate at North Carolina State University examined autofluorescence as a method for determining whether Eimeria oocysts are viable and capable of causing infection.
Adding organic acids to poultry drinking water has been suggested as a potential intervention in managing Salmonella, but research by Auburn University scientists showed otherwise.
The emergence of aMPV subtypes A and B has left US poultry producers seeking new tools to reduce the economic impact of this disease. In an interview, Silke Rautenschlein, PhD, professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany, covers the past, present and future of the virus and its control.
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