title: Risk factors associated with early respiratory disease complex in broiler chickens.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland at College Park 20742, USA.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Tablante
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Odor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Harter-Dennis
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hueston
mesh_terms: 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