Controlling kinky back disease in broilers

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, in which researchers were able to determine factors that lead to kinky back disease in broilers. The project is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A brief summary of the completed project is shown below. A complete report may be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website, www.uspoultry.org. The project summary is as follows.
Project #682:  Intestinal Co-infection and Flock Management Risk Factors for Enterococcus cecorum-Associated Disease
(Dr. Luke Borst; Dr. H. John Barnes; Dr. Michael Martin; and Dr. Emily Griffith, North Carolina State University)
Enterococcal spondylitis, usually called kinky back in the broiler industry, is an important cause of lameness and mortality in many broiler companies. Researchers at North Carolina State University, led by Dr. Luke Borst, recently completed a research project in which they were able to determine factors that lead to this disease. They found that the causative organism, Enterococcus cecorum, invades through the intestinal tract of the broiler at an early age and travels through the bloodstream to the vertebrae. This finding has led the researchers on the path of developing a vaccine for use in broiler breeders to protect the broiler progeny against the disease. For a detailed summary, click here.