Mediterranean territories have co-evolved and been shaped by fire throughout history. However, global environmental change conditions are increasing the size, intensity and severity of wildfires, which have gone from a regular natural disturbance to a serious threat for civil protection, surpassing firefighting capacities. Therefore, building resilience in fire-prone territories is an increasingly relevant policy and management objective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the present study the effects of dietary gizzard stimulation on the development and severity of adenoviral gizzard erosion were investigated. For this purpose, specific pathogen-free broilers were divided into six groups, investigating the influence of an oat-containing diet with higher fibre content, a whole wheat-containing diet and a control diet of nearly identical composition, but containing ground wheat. For each feed administered, one group of birds was experimentally infected on the 10th day of age by the oral route with virulent fowl adenovirus serotype 1 (FAdV-1), recently proven to induce gizzard erosions, while the respective negative control groups remained uninfected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGizzard erosion in broilers due to an infection with virulent fowl adenovirus serotype 1 (FAdV-1) is an emerging disease. Although experimental studies were performed, a possible prevention strategy was not reported so far. The present study was set up to determine (i) a possible influence of birds' age at time of inoculation on the pathogenicity of a European FAdV-1 field strain (PA7127), (ii) the virulence of a apathogenic FAdV-1 strain (CELO), and (iii) its capability to protect SPF broilers from adenoviral gizzard erosion caused by the field virus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn a prospective longitudinal study, a broiler breeder flock and its progeny were monitored for the presence of avian hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA and antibodies. The flock was part of a multiple-age farm where the presence of avian HEV with clinical signs (increased mortality and decreased egg production) was demonstrated in several previous production cycles. Samples were taken twice at the rearing site and several times at the production site from broiler breeders including cockerels and day-old chicks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerous cases of tenosynovitis appeared in France causing high morbidity in free-range and standard broilers. The main clinical findings were lameness, stunting and non-uniform bodyweights. Although the natural mortality was low, the economic losses due to birds that had to be removed from the flock prematurely, downgrading of carcases and lower average weights at slaughter were substantial.
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