Course takes flight after five-year hiatus

A week-long poultry health course is back after a five-year break.

The course – designed and taught by specialists at The Pirbright Institute, the University of Surrey and UK industry experts – is aimed at vets, technical staff and poultry managers.

Featuring hands-on practicals, demonstrations and lectures, the curriculum will cover key virological, bacteriological and parasitological poultry diseases. Specialists will lead discussions on enrichment, hatchery practice and field investigations, with practical sessions taking place at the university.

Basic understanding

Ian Brown, who leads the Avian Virology Group at Pirbright, will be providing information and insight on Newcastle disease, which can impact domestic poultry as well as other birds.

Prof Brown said: “The course is specifically designed for those who work within the poultry industry and have a basic understanding of poultry health.

“By the end of the week, students will be able to recognise the clinical signs of key poultry diseases; perform a postmortem examination; and outline key diagnostic techniques including real-time PCR to detect viral genome, bacterial culturing and microscopy.”

Biosecurity measures

Avian influenza will be covered on the course, running from 24 to 28 June, by Munir Iqbal, head of Pirbright’s group for avian influenza and Newcastle disease.

Prof Iqbal said: “In addition to recognising and understanding disease, and challenges to vaccination and vaccine failure, it will provide students with the ability to identify necessary biosecurity measures for a poultry farm, perform a field investigation, establish best practices for enrichment and understand current industry issues including antimicrobial resistance.”

Full details are available from The Pirbright Institute website.