Poultry
Biofilms in poultry production are of concern where they can form in the birds’ water supply network. In broiler (any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production) houses, this is a key point of infection control; to prevent biofilms becoming a source of potential contaminants in the chicken gut.
Water systems are the perfect host for many types of bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi. Poultry-barn drinker systems have slow-flowing water that is warmed during brooding and the use of additives such as electrolytes, vitamins and organic acids provides nutrients for growth. Once microbes attach to pipe walls, they create biofilms which trap and store nutrients as well as creating a protective environment. Since many birds have access to the same water source, quality problems will affect a great number of animals and as birds drink twice as much water as they consume feed, it is almost a given that birds will be negatively impacted should the water system contain unhealthy contamination.
POULTRY DISEASES POTENTIALLY TRANSMITTED IN WATER
Bacterial Diseases: Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), Colibacillosis, Avian Cholera, Fowl Typhoid
Diseases caused by virus: Newcastle Disease, Infectious bronchitis, Marek’s disease, Avian encephalomyelitis, Gumboro disease
Protozoan Diseases: Histomoniasis, Coccidiosis
The chicken gut contains a diverse collection of microbes including bacteria, archaea, protozoa and viruses – collectively forming the gut microbiota, much like its human counterpart. Although each part of the chicken gut has its own unique microbial community, they all are dominated by bacteria.
The bacterial species forming the chicken gut microbiome are known to play important roles in absorption of nutrition from food and protection from disease. While most bacterial species within the chicken gut microbiome are not harmful, some are known to be pathogenic to both chickens and humans.
The chicken gut microbiota comprises a diverse and complex community of microorganisms, with their collective genomic content being defined as the gut microbiome. The genomes constituting the chicken gut microbiome are derived from bacteria, archaea, protozoa and viruses – however bacteria are by far the most predominant, with hundreds of species being found here. Different microbial community structures will form in different anatomical sections of the chicken gut and these populations can be greatly altered by environmental factors such as diet, housing and vaccination and this, in turn, will impact food production productivity.
Bacterial members of the chicken gut microbiome are known to interact with their host in multiple ways, with most of these interactions being commensal. They play particularly important roles in supporting food digestion and protecting the chicken from disease by promoting aspects of the immune response and providing a physical barrier to invading pathogens. However, some pathogenic bacteria are known to inhabit the chicken gut itself, including Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are known to cause disease in chickens and pose a public health risk to humans.
Further reading on biofilms and poultry
Identify Poultry Water System Contamination Challenges. University of Arkansas. https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-8011.pdf
Drinking water as a risk factor to poultry health. Luiz Augusto do Amaral, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-635X2004000400001
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