Risk factors associated with early respiratory disease complex in broiler chickens.
Early respiratory disease complex (ERDC) is a term coined to describe an acute disease characterized by depression, respiratory distress, and increased mortality in 2-to-3-wk-old broiler chickens. Postmortem lesions include airsacculitis, fibrinous pericarditis, and perihepatitis. Colisepticemia is the primary cause of death. In order to investigate the association between ERDC and farm management factors, a retrospective case-control study was conducted by collecting data covering a 6-mo period (January-June 1997) from four broiler integrators on the Delmarva peninsula. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed that flock size was positively associated (P = 0.02) and layout time was negatively associated (P = 0.05) with ERDC.
Tablante
N L
NL
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland at College Park 20742, USA.
Brunet
P Y
PY
Odor
E M
EM
Salem
M
M
Harter-Dennis
J M
JM
Hueston
W D
WD
D000208:Acute Disease; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002645:Chickens; D003691:Delaware / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology