Nutritional manipulation of necrotic enteritis outbreak in broilers

A significant threat to the broiler industry is the sporadic outbreak of necrotic enteritis (NE). Damage to the intestinal mucosa through coccidial :infection ('Eimeria' spp.) or a change in the normal intestinal microflora predisposes birds to the proliferation of 'Clostridium perfringens' (CP) resulting in NE. At present in Australia the occurrence of NE in poultry is still controlled by adding antibacterial growth promotants (AGP) to feed. However, the ban of AGP in many European countries and recent trends to reduce and ban throughout the world the inclusion of AGP in all animal feed has forced the poultry industry worldwide to look for different means by which to control the disease. The choice of feed ingredient can significantly alter the intestinal microflora and predispose or protect birds from the rapid proliferation of potential pathogens like CP More recently, the focus has shifted towards the inclusion of alternative feed supplements such as feed enzymes, prebiotic, probiotic and organic acids, which not only improve broiler performance but also provide considerable protection against NE.