Poult enteritis complex

Poult enteritis complex (PEC) is a general term that encompasses the infect ious intestinal diseases of young turkeys. Some diseases, such as coronavir al enteritis and stunting syndrome, are relatively well characterised, whil e others, such as transmissible viral enteritis, poult growth depression an d poult enteritis mortality syndrome, remain ill-defined. All forms of PEC are multifactorial, transmissible and infectious. Salient clinical features include stunting and poor feed utilisation that result from enteritis. In the more severe forms, runting, immune dysfunction and mortality are report ed. Gross and microscopic lesions of enteritis are present in all forms but tend to be non-specific. Other lesions may be present, depending on the ag ents involved. The basic pathogenesis involves the following: a) alteration of the intestinal mucosa, generally by one or more viruses in fecting enterocytes; b) inflammation; c) proliferation of secondary agents, usually bacteria. Non-infectious factors interplay with infectious agents to modulate the cou rse and severity of disease. Diarrhoea is believed to be primarily osmotic because of maldigestion and malabsorption, but may also have a secretory co mponent. Transmission is primarily faecal-oral. No public health significan ce is recognised or suspected. Prevention is based on eliminating the infec tious agents from contaminated premises and preventing introduction into fl ocks. This is accomplished by an effective cleaning, disinfection and biose curity programme. All-in/all-out production or separate brooding and finish ing units are helpful. Control may require regional co-ordination among all companies producing turkeys, especially if the production is highly concen trated, and a quarantine programme for more severe forms of PEG. No vaccine s or specific measures for controlling the organisms involved in PEC are av ailable. Treatment is supportive for the viral component, while antibiotics , especially those with efficacy against Gram positive bacteria, may help t o reduce the impact of bacterial infections. Evidence suggests that PEC occ urs wherever turkeys are raised commercially, but this is not well document ed and distribution of the various organisms that have been associated with PEC is largely unknown. The disease causes enormous economic loss, mostly from failure of the turkey to reach its genetic potential.