Viral diseases in poultry

If you ask poultry producers what damage viruses can do to their business, they will understandably think mostly about major diseases such as avian influenza, Gumboro disease or respiratory infections such as Infectious Bronchitis virus. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Viral challenges can be the triggers for a whole range of problems which may never even appear as clinical disease but can have an even more devastating effect on overall flock performance, production and profits. They can affect one or more of the birds’ body systems, the most significant of which are the respiratory tract (lungs and air sacs), the skeletal system (bones and joints) or the intestinal tract (affecting gut function). Although other factors such as environment, nutrition and management play an important role in the full expression of diseases affecting these systems, the most significant underlying trigger is usually an infectious agent, and the most potent of these are undoubtedly viruses.