Epidemiologic aspects of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens – disease occurrence and production performance

Abstract

Since future conventional broiler production can no longer rely upon in-feed antimicrobials (anticoccidials and antibiotic growth promoters), understanding the most important non-antimicrobial factors influencing occurrence of necrotic enteritis (NE) in poultry will become urgent. Solid population-based data on NE occurrence are scarce. Additionally, data on cholangiohepatitis (CPH) at slaughter is a useful indirect measurement of NE occurrence. Existing data suggest that coccidiosis and nutritional factors are among the most important determinants of NE occurrence. Dietary cereal contents and dietary level of animal proteins can both influence NE occurrence, but cereal composition may be more important because cereals constitute a larger portion of the diet. Losses associated with NE vary depending on the severity of the disease, but data indicate that the farmers’ profit may be reduced on average with as much as one third during an epidemic of clinical disease.