Volume 44 Number 1 Spring 1997

SCIENTISTS SEEK TO PREVENT COSTLY CELLULITIS DISEASE IN CHICKENS
Poultry scientists are testing treatments for a disease that costs the poultry industry more than $40 million each year.

Avian cellulitis is an escalating problem for the U.S. poultry industry, costing more than $40 million annually. This disease, characterized by large infections under the skin, causes a bird to be condemned by USDA or severely trimmed at processing. Research by AAES poultry scientists has shed new light on the problem, including information that may one day provide a cure for this disease.

Researchers developed a method to realistically induce the disease in chickens. This experimental model is now used to evaluate potential antibiotics and vaccines in cooperation with veterinary pharmaceutical companies. Some of these treatments have shown promise for controlling cellulitis.

The experimental model is also used to study the disease-causing mechanisms of cellulitis. Using molecular techniques, researchers found that cellulitis infection is caused by a unique form of E. Coli. Identifying the characteristics of these bacteria and exploiting any weaknesses found will enable scientists to develop new preventative strategies.

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