National surveillance of poultry diseases in Lebanon.

From 1992 to mid-1996, a national survey of poultry diseases in Lebanon was conducted. This surveillance included meat breeder, layer breeder, commercial layer and chicken broiler flocks. The history, signs, lesions and laboratory tests of poultry were used in the diagnosis of prevalent poultry diseases. Culture techniques were used to screen for bacterial diseases; serological techniques and, to a lesser extent, culture techniques were used to diagnose viral diseases; and both serological and culture techniques were used to diagnose Mycoplasma infections. The outbreaks of diseases detected in broiler breeder flocks and the number of such flocks experiencing these diseases were as follows: femoral head necrosis (6), egg-drop syndrome (3), reovirus-associated malabsorption syndrome (3), synovitis (Mycoplasma synoviae infection) (7), swollen head syndrome (SHS) (3), tenosynovitis (viral arthritis) (1), lymphoid leukosis (3), avian encephalomyelitis (1), fowl pox (1) and aortic rupture (1). The disease outbreaks detected in layer breeders were as follows: SHS (2), bumble foot (2), egg-drop syndrome (3) and avian infectious bronchitis (IB) (1). The disease outbreaks detected in commercial layer flocks were as follows: egg-drop syndrome (5), avian infectious laryngotracheitis (2), avian IB (nephrogenic strain) (1), malabsorption (1), avian tuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium) (1), Marek's disease (1), fowl pox (1), Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Enteritidis infection (1), salpingitis (1) and Heterakis gallinae infestation (1). The disease outbreaks detected in broiler flocks were as follows: colibacillosis (40), infectious bursal disease (Gumboro disease) (15), malabsorption syndrome (8), avian infectious laryngotracheitis (8), paratyphoids (salmonellosis) (7), femoral head necrosis (8), SHS (6), avian mycoplasmosis (Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection) (6), synovitis (7), avian IB (6), botulism (1), avian encephalomyelitis (1) and gangrenous dermatitis (1). Diseases which occurred and which were reported for the first time in Lebanon were as follows: bumble foot, femoral head necrosis, avian IB (nephrogenic strain), malabsorption syndrome and SHS. This surveillance helped to establish baseline data concerning the predominant poultry diseases in Lebanon. Such information is a prerequisite for future regional and international collaboration to identify the source of the aetiological agents and to control their spread to neighbouring countries.