CONTEXT

• High farm density: risk of contamination
• Wild or backyard birds: risk of cross-contamination and accelerated virus circulation
• Nearby agricultural activities using untreated poultry litter as organic fertilizer: pathogen dissemination
• Large-scale operations with high bird density: increased disease prevalence
• Lack of technical skills among staff: inadequate management of health and biosecurity issues
• Open buildings: difficult to implement biosecurity
• Variable equipment quality: vaccination failures on the farm
• Unavailability of quality water: contamination
• Many farmers lack vaccination technique skills: farm vaccination effectiveness is at best 70%

HEALTH RISKS

Chicks can be exposed to numerous pathogens. They are sensitive to bacteria and viruses present in the environment. Sometimes, it is a combination of several diseases. Chronic respiratory syndrome, for example, is due to a combination of respiratory viruses and poor farm management.

HEALTH EVOLUTION

The evolution of viruses in poultry farming is a complex and important topic, given the potentially devastating impact of viral diseases on poultry populations.

Genetic mutations can lead to the emergence of new viral strains. These new strains can be more virulent, spread more quickly, and infect at an earlier stage, posing additional challenges in terms of avian disease prophylaxis.

Some viruses can cause zoonotic diseases, such as avian influenza, and can have serious implications for public health.

WHAT WE INCREASINGLY NEED