Surveillance for Avibacterium paragallinarum in commercial layer hens and wild waterfowl

Testing strategies for infectious coryza (IC) in laying hen flocks have not been developed though there is a standard testing procedure for the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) that we wished to use to collect data on flocks with and without a history of IC. Wild waterfowl may be a fomite or vector for transmission of Avibacterium paragallinarum (AP) but data on their IC status is not available. In this study, 15 layer flocks, 4 with a history of AP diagnosis, 2 clinically affected flocks, and 9 flocks with no history of AP, were sampled using the NPIP Clean protocol and then tested by PCR to determine the presence or absence of AP infection in the flock. Additionally, 240 wild ducks from 8 Pennsylvania (PA) counties were sampled.