Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 May 17;56(1):101.
doi: 10.1186/s13567-025-01506-y.

Review of respiratory syndromes in poultry: pathogens, prevention, and control measures

Huixin Liu  1 , Sijia Pan  1 , Chenchen Wang  1 , Wenwen Yang  1 , Xiaofang Wei  1 , Yang He  1 , Ting Xu  1 , Kaichuang Shi  1   2 , Hongbin Si  3
Affiliations
Review

Review of respiratory syndromes in poultry: pathogens, prevention, and control measures

Huixin Liu et al. Vet Res. .

Abstract

Respiratory syndromes (RS) include a variety of diseases that lead to respiratory dysfunction, resulting in significant economic losses for the poultry industry. Infectious agents and unfavourable environmental factors cause these respiratory diseases, and rapid transmission, high morbidity rates, and frequent mixed infections characterise them. The challenge in preventing and treating these diseases arises from the complexity of their triggers and the potential for secondary infections. Current vaccines often do not provide effective prevention, and the overuse of certain medications can lead to increased bacterial resistance, complicating prevention and control efforts. This review article examines the common sources of respiratory infections in poultry flocks, including infectious bronchitis virus, avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, avian metapneumovirus, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Haemophilus paragallinarum, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and Chlamydia. It also considers non-infectious factors such as adverse environmental conditions and management errors. The article provides an updated, comprehensive overview of widespread and economically significant poultry respiratory pathogens. It briefly discusses detection technology and vaccine development based on the transmission characteristics of RS. Furthermore, it explores prevention and control measures such as combination drug strategies and antibiotic alternatives to enhance understanding and implementation of effective disease prevention and control measures.

Keywords: Respiratory syndromes; detection technology; disease triggers; prevention and control measures; vaccine development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The most common cause of respiratory infections in poultry.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by IBV.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by AIV.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by NDV.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by ILTV.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by aMPV.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by APEC.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by Apg.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by MG.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The primary respiratory symptoms caused by Cps.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kelly PJ, Chitauro D, Rohde C, Rukwava J, Majok A, Davelaar F, Mason PR (1994) Diseases and management of backyard chicken flocks in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Avian Dis 38:626–629 - PubMed
    1. Birring SS, Parker D, Brightling CE, Bradding P, Wardlaw AJ, Pavord ID (2004) Induced sputum inflammatory mediator concentrations in chronic cough. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 169:15–19 - PubMed
    1. Hassan KE, Shany SA, Ali A, Dahshan AH, El-Sawah AA, El-Kady MF (2016) Prevalence of avian respiratory viruses in broiler flocks in Egypt. Poult Sci 95:1271–1280 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yehia N, Salem HM, Mahmmod Y, Said D, Samir M, Mawgod SA, Sorour HK, AbdelRahman MAA, Selim S, Saad AM, El-Saadony MT, El-Meihy RM, Abd El-Hack ME, El-Tarabily KA, Zanaty AM (2023) Common viral and bacterial avian respiratory infections: an updated review. Poult Sci 102:102553 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Roussan DA, Haddad R, Khawaldeh G (2008) Molecular survey of avian respiratory pathogens in commercial broiler chicken flocks with respiratory diseases in Jordan. Poult Sci 87:444–448 - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources