Balanced intestinal microflora help prevent necrotic enteritis

摘要

Necrotic enteritis is a disease affecting chickens and turkeys throughout the world. Certain factors are known to predispose birds to this disease. Keeping a healthy balance of intestinal microflora seems to be a key element in the prevention strategy. Affected flocks need to be treated to minimise death losses. Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an enteric bacterial disease of chickens, turkeys, and a few other avian species caused by Clostridium perfringens. The disease is characterised by damage to the intestinal mucosa by toxins produced by the causative bacteria. It is worldwide in distribution and causes considerable financial losses to broiler producers due to mortality and, in its milder subclinical form, poor growth and feed utilisation. In commercially raised broiler chickens, clinical disease usually occurs between 2 and 5 weeks of age.