The incidence and economic impact of the Escherichia coli peritonitis syndrome in Dutch poultry farming

The incidence and economic impact of the Escherichia coli peritonitis syndrome (EPS), characterized by acute mortality, were estimated in chicken egg-producing farms in the Netherlands in 2013. The incidence was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the meat-sector (35% affected farms) compared to the layer-sector (7% affected farms). In consumption egg-producing farms EPS occurred on 12% of the free range and organic farms, while it was found on 1% and 4% of the cage and barn farms, respectively. Data from four layer and two broiler breeder flocks with EPS were used to estimate the overall economic impact of the disease. Mean numbers of eggs lost were 10 and 11 per hen housed (phh), while mean slaughter weight loss was 0.2 and 0.5kg phh in the four layer and two broiler breeder flocks, respectively. Total losses including costs of destruction of dead hens, compensated for reduced feed intake due to a smaller flock size, ranged from Euro0.28 phh (cage farms) to Euro9.75 phh (grandparent farms) in the layer-sector and from Euro1.87 phh (parent farms) to Euro10.73 phh (grandparent farms) in the meat-sector. Antibiotics against EPS were given often and repeatedly especially in the meat-sector. Including the costs of antibiotics, total losses were estimated at Euro0.4 million, Euro3.3 million and Euro3.7 million for the layer-sector, the meat-sector and poultry farming as a whole, respectively. Research focusing on the prevention and treatment of EPS is justified by its severe clinical and economic impact.