Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
410 MRAK HALL
DAVIS,CA 95616-8671
Performing Department
Population Health & Reproduction
Non Technical Summary
Urban poultry are becoming more and more common. While specific numbers are not available the number of backyard (BY) poultry submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS) for diagnosis have increased by 383% over the last 6 years (10). Lack of appropriate biosecurity measures, inconsistent vaccination, long lifetime span, and poor access to veterinary care are common denominators with respect to BY chickens. The combination of all these factors makes them vulnerable to several diseases. Consequently, BY poultry can be both sentinels and amplifiers of several diseases including "exotic diseases." An example of the role of BY flocks (BYF) in disease transmission and amplification is the 2002 exotic Newcastle disease (END) outbreak affecting the commercial poultry industry in California that was originated in backyard poultry flocks (3, 6, 9). According to the END Task Force created after this event the cost of eradication alone was $176 million dollars. This was not the first time in which a foreign animal disease spread from BY poultry farms causing substantial economic consequences (1, 8, 9). BYF were also responsible for the 1998 END in the California central valley, 2000 END outbreak in Italy, and 2006 H5N1 highly pathogenic avian Influenza in Asia (2, 3). Seroprevalence studies are crucial to assess the exposure of poultry flocks to different pathogens, in addition helps detecting their potential as reservoirs of disease. This strategy has been used to identify disease risk in BYF (4, 5). Respiratory pathogens are one the most common cause of disease in commercial and non-commercial poultry operations. These events are not only restricted to respiratory signs but also reproductive, urogenital and production losses restricting the potential and wellbeing of the flock ending, in some cases, in mortality. Respiratory pathogen seroprevalence information in small BYF is limited. A retrospective serologic analysis of backyard poultry submissions from October 2010 to October 2012 to CAHFS laboratory in Turlock, suggests there is a significant challenge and exposure to Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). The following table displays the results of the serologic analysis and provides supporting evidence that backyard flocks are a potential nidus for a disease outbreak in the California central valley, home for several hundred commercial poultry facilities.Table 1: Prevalence of respiratory diseases diagnosed in BYF submissions to the CAHFS laboratory Turlock branch from October 2010 to October 2012.Infectious DiseaseSample size (n=)Percent PositiveNewcastle Disease1257 %Infectious Bronchitis12536 %Mycoplasma gallisepticum6075%Mycoplasma synoviae4842%The knowledge of backyard respiratory disease seroprevalence in areas distant and close to commercial poultry production will help to create a seroprevalence database that can be used to assess risk with respect to the transmission from BYF to the commercial poultry industry and establish preventive/education measures.This proposal considers high priority issues listed by CFAH such as disease control and surveillance, emerging diseases and accurate diagnosis.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
-Determine biosecurity, management and seroprevalence information related to respiratory diseases in BYF close to commercial poultry premises-Determine biosecurity, management, and seroprevalence information related to respiratory diseases in BYF distant to commercial poultry premises-Compare results and establish the potential risk that BYF pose to the introduction of respiratory diseases to commercial poultry industry
Project Methods
Step 1. Identify backyard flocks close to commercial poultry premises (1 mile radius distance), which has been shown to be a disease risk factor (7)and distant from poultry commercial premises preferentially in a residential area (Davis). This will be done with the help of the extension poultry veterinarian and animal science poultry extension specialist, backyard flock associations and using the data already collected by CDFA and CAHFS based on submissions. Producers and/or poultry enthusiasts will be contacted and requested to participate.Step 2. A visit and a short survey will be performed in order to assess breeds, flock health, prevalence of respiratory problems, mortality, vaccination status, and biosecurity. Blood samples will be collected, serum will be isolated.Step 3. Using commercial ELISA kits, antibodies against some of the most important respiratory pathogens in poultry such as: avian influenza virus (AIV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) and Ornithobacterium Rinotracheale (ORT) will be assessed. In addition, flocks will be mapped and conclusions will be drawn based on proximity to commercial poultry premises. We anticipate that our results will support our research hypothesis.Data analysis: Descriptive statistics will be used to compare and express seroprevalence in the different BYF. Prevalence of the different diseases will be calculated and mapped. Results from the different locations will be compared between each other. Finally ArcGIS will be used to map locations and identify spatial and temporal associations.Our poultry extension specialist will be fully involved in the detection of the sampled farms, sample collection, health assessment of the flocks, data analysis and knowledge dissemination/education based on the results of this investigation.