Necrotic enteritis: Applications for the poultry industry

Considering market demands concerning the decreased use of growth promoters and anticoccidial drugs in feed formulations, the poultry industry has been trying to reduce or eliminate the inclusion of subtherapeutic doses of antimicrobials into feed. Formulating diets not only to meet birds' nutrient requirements for growth but also for gastrointestinal health parameters is increasingly important. Maintenance and enhancement of intestinal integrity is essential for bird performance when antimicrobials are not included in feed, as commercial poultry face numerous enteric pathogen challenges. Necrotic enteritis has reemerged as an important disease of poultry in recent years. The reduction in the use of antimicrobials in poultry feeds has been attributed as one of the main contributing factors for the increasing incidence of necrotic enteritis (NE) in commercial poultry. Mortality due to NE is extremely high (1% daily mortality), which results in great economic losses. Economic losses due to NE are not only associated with high mortality, but also associated with decreases in bird performance and FE, particularly in subclinical cases of NE. Birds that survive NE outbreaks usually have a reduced ability to digest and absorb nutrients due to extensive damage to the mucosal lining, which ultimately results in reduced profitability.