College of Veterinary Sciences

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Start date: 2024Subject: search.filters.subject.Biosecurity

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    COCCIDIOSIS IN BROILER FARMS OF MEKELLE CITY, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA: ANALYSIS OF BIOSECURITY PRACTICES, PREVALENCE, AND POSTMORTEM LESIONS
    (Mekelle University, 2025-01-25) TESFAY GEBREWAHD
    Coccidiosis, a serious parasitic disease, poses a significant threat to commercial chicken farms, leading to substantial financial and job losses for producers. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between poultry coccidiosis prevalence and biosecurity practices on commercial broiler farms. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to November 2024 assessed biosecurity levels and coccidiosis prevalence in small and medium-sized broiler farms in Mekelle city. A total of 257 fresh chicken dropping samples from broiler farms were collected and examined for Eimeria oocysts using microscopy and McMaster Technique, and biosecurity practices of 23 small and 15 medium-scale farms were measured using UGBioCheck Tool. The overall prevalence of Eimeria oocyst infections among the fecal samples were 23.74% and farm-level prevalence was 68.42 %. The analysis revealed a significant association between age and coccidiosis prevalence (p < 0.05), indicating that younger chickens (< 8 weeks) had a higher infection rate compared to older ones. The study also categorized the oocyst counts, and 70.49% of positive samples had low levels of infection (less than 10,000 oocysts per gram), while only 9.84% exhibited high levels of infection. In postmortem examinations, 55.56% of the examined cases showed gross lesions indicative of coccidiosis, with the cecum being the most affected site (38.89%). The overall, external and internal biosecurity scores were measured to be 47.26%, 44.57% and 53%, respectively. This shows that the biosecurity scores were significantly lower than global averages. Furthermore, external biosecurity score was lower than internal biosecurity score, with visitors and farm workers and disease management rated highest in external and internal biosecurity. Over 73% of the farms housed other animals, and 42.11% reported nearby water sources that could risk disease transmission. All farms followed vaccination protocols and removed dead birds daily, with around 97.37% cleaning poultry houses after each production cycle. The study found a strong correlation between low biosecurity scores and higher occurrences of coccidiosis; specifically, 57.89% of farms with poor biosecurity scores tested positive for Eimeria oocysts. The findings underscore the need for improved biosecurity practices to enhance poultry health and reduce disease prevalence within broiler farms
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    Biosecurity Practices and Molecular Epidemiology of Salmonella Species in Small and Medium-Scale Commercial Layer Farms in Mekelle City, Northern Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-01-25) Aregawi Gerekidan
    Salmonellosis infections in chicken farms pose significant risks to public health and the poultry industry. In the Tigray region, there is a notable lack of molecular-based identification methods for Salmonella species in poultry and limited understanding of existing biosecurity practices. This study aimed to isolate and molecularly characterize Salmonella species while evaluating the biosecurity measures practiced on the farms. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2023 and December 2024, involving the collection of 250 cloacal swabs from laying hens and identifying biosecurity practices across 28 purposively selected poultry farms. Salmonella species were isolated following the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO 6579- 1:2017/Amd.1:2020(E)). Out of 28 poultry farms tested using standard bacteriological culture methods, 16 (57.1%) were positive for Salmonella isolates. The overall isolation rate of Salmonella species was 34.8% (87/250). Among the analyzed risk factors, on farm waste disposal practice, sources of chicken, presence of other animals, age and flock size demonstrated a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) with bacteriological rate of isolation Salmonella species. The molecular detection rate of Salmonella genus was 82.4% (42 out of 51) successfully amplified with the INVA1/2 primers. Notably, 45% of these isolates were identified as Salmonella gallinarum using MS-GA-F/R primers, while 35% were identified as Salmonella typhimurium with TYPHF/R primers. The poultry farm biosecurity parameters and practices were evaluated by a scientific risk-based scoring system based on the Biocheck. UGent™ tool (Merelbeke, Ghent University, Belgium) (https://biocheck.ugent.be/en ). The overall biosecurity score for layer farms in Mekelle is 57.86%, with the scores of 48.54% for external biosecurity and 67.11% for internal biosecurity. Adapting to evolving biosecurity challenges requires the adoption of new toolkits and strategies. It showed the biosecurity measures of these farms, especially at the external levels need to be improved. The investigation revealed a higher isolation and identification rate of Salmonella species at both the farm and sample levels. Therefore, routine flock testing, farm surveillance, implementation of Salmonella prevention and control strategies, and improvements in biosecurity practices is needed