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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #323041
Title: Necrotic enteritis: important role of intestinal immunity to Clostridium perfringens in pathogenesis and antibiotic alternative strategies to reduce the gut damage

Author
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item OH, SUNG TAEK - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The human population is projected to grow to 9-10 billion by the year 2050. As a consequence of the population explosion, food animal production must confront a new array of challenges including global food security, regulatory ban of antimicrobials, climate change, emerging infectious diseases, high-density production conditions and waste management. Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an economically important intestinal infectious disease caused by Clostridium perfringens bacterium under conditions favoring in vivo bacterial proliferation. The true global economic impact for NE is now estimated to be US$ 6 billion per year in 2015 according to the latest communication from a poultry industry source. Several exotoxins that C. perfringens produce disrupt the intestinal epithelium causing necrotizing lesions that are the characteristic sign of NE. A better understanding of the potential impacts of immunosuppressive infections and changing poultry rearing practices on NE is needed to develop effective management strategies against NE. In this regard, a better understanding of host-pathogen, as well as pathogen-pathogen (Clostridium-Eimeria) interactions in NE will facilitate the development of antibiotic alternative strategies against NE. This talk will review the complexity of host immunology and genetics, and the development of antibiotic alternative strategies to reduce NE-associated economic losses.