Elanco Animal Health has launched a new vaccine to prevent the highly detrimental Avian Encephalomyelitis disease, also known as epidemic tremors in young broilers, or egg drop in adult birds in-lay.
James Bishop, technical consultant at Elanco, said epidemic tremors in broilers is a critical disease.
“The symptoms of this viral disease in broilers include nervous signs, imbalance with birds sitting on their hocks, paralysis and tremors of the head, neck and wings that can lead to high mortality and morbidity of 5-60%,” said Dr Bishop.
“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.”
He said even though the impacts are detrimental, there have been limited preventative vaccines available for this disease in Great 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 said.
AviPro AE is a liquid suspension that is administered via the drinking water in the rearing period and make up a part of the vaccination programme.