Improvement in poultry quality

A test has been developed that can assess the robustness of the immune system in poultry by the Eureka E! 2692 molecular tests project.

The test can be performed in two days on blood samples from poultry houses, using equipment already available in poultry diagnostic laboratories. Current immune system tests are imprecise, expensive and take weeks which means information is available too late to be useful.

Combining this test with immune-system boosting drugs would improve poultry welfare, and result in cheaper and better quality poultry products.

Production of poultry involves intensive housing and management to maximise output which leads to an increase incidence of disease and because poultry is a global industry, similar disease problems are found all over the world, as highlighted by the emergence of bird flu.

Reduced immunity is a serious problem for commercial poultry producers worldwide. The major cause is viral infection. All viruses can cause immunosuppression to varying degrees but Marek's disease, infectious bursal disease and chicken anaemia are particular concerns.

A simple test to identify flocks that have been immunosuppressed by non-apparent infections was needed. This test is both a useful research tool and a way to provide poultry companies with an early warning for flocks that will experience secondary infections because of immunosuppression.

The Molecular Tests project is the outcome of research initiated at the University of Georgia and continued at the Institut Ruder Boskovic in Zagreb. Project leader Dr William Ragland of Zagreb Biotek in Croatia had the basic idea 20 years ago but he had to wait for advances in molecular biology.

"The test is ready but we need to develop the companion immunotherapeutic to convince an animal health company to take it on," explains Dr Ragland.