A new vaccine will prevent the highly detrimental avian encephalomyelitis disease in broilers after gaining authorisation from Britain's regulator.
Elanco Animal Health has launched the AviPro AE vaccine for the disease, known as epidemic tremors in young broilers or egg drop in adult birds in-lay.
Epidemic tremors in broilers is a critical disease, with symptoms including nervous signs and imbalance with birds sitting on their hocks.
Other symptoms include paralysis and tremors of the head, neck and wings that can lead to high mortality and morbidity of 5-60%.
The impact of this disease in adult birds in lay can lead to a drop in egg production by 5-10% that can last more than two weeks.
Hatchability in breeding stock may also drop by 5% with vertical transmission to the progeny.
James Bishop, technical consultant at Elanco, says that even though the impacts are detrimental, there have been limited preventative vaccines available for this disease in Britain.
“The availability of AviPro AE offers pullet rearers and broiler breeders an alternative solution to a critically important disease, as there is no treatment available once the disease is present,” he says.
AviPro AE is a liquid suspension that is administered via the drinking water in the rearing period and makes up a key part of the vaccination programme.
The vaccine is a prescription only medicine.
