Current research work.

Abstract:

Lameness in broilers chicken is significant animal welfare and economic concern in the poultry industry. Broiler leg disorders are estimated to cost industry several millions of dollars annually. In commercial broilers, the most common cause of lameness is Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO). Wire flooring model has been used successfully to induce lameness attributable to BCO. Staphylococcus agnetis, a bacterium previously has been associated with clinical mastitis in dairy cattle, represents the major species involved in BCO infection. This staphylococcal species has been isolated from the bone and blood of lame broiler at the University of Arkansas. As high as 80% lameness by 56 days of age can be induced by administering the chicken isolates (908 strain) in the drinking water to broiler rared on wire flooring. the annotated complete genome of Arkansas strain 908 has been published .By using the qPCR-High Resolution Melt, we were able to differentiate between the different Staphylococcus  species discovered to be causing BCO in broilers. Staphylococcus species identified were S. agnetis, S. xylosus, S. saprophyticus, S. epidermidis, S. hominis, and S. aureus. Additionally, we are working on discovering the ability of S. agnetis to survive engulfment by macrophages by looking at the survival rate of S. agnetis in chicken macrophage cell line (HTC). This suggests that such event may contribute to pathogen persistence and dissemination. Isolating pathogenic bacterial species, defining their likely route of transmission to broilers, and investigating the mechanism for persistence of this pathogen in BCO infection will contribute substantially to the development of measures for mitigating BCO losses in poultry.​