Document Type : Al-Qadisiyah Conference 2025
Author
Department of Pathology and Poultry Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah
Abstract
Modern poultry production is witnessing the rising tendency of Cryptosporidium baileyi as a respiratory pathogen; its transmission via air facilitates swift spread on broiler farms and hatcheries. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the existing knowledge of the ecology, aerobiology, and production impact of C. baileyi, particularly the processes that transform oocysts into respirable bioaerosols, such as size range, dust concentration, humidity, and temperature. Within hatcheries, airflow direction, pressure differentials, and the efficiency of pathogen filters are explored as factors of pathogen concentration and spread. The respiratory pathogenesis is described from epithelial breach, disruption of the mucociliary elevator, and airsacculitis to the performance penalties of reduced early chick quality, increased condemnation rates, and poor feed conversion. In this review, surface, air, and flock screening diagnostics are compared, featuring a concrete set of actionable breach responses based on qPCR and ddPCR workflows. The multifactorial interactions of Mycoplasma, Escherichia coli, and infectious bronchitis virus are discussed as amplifying the primary disease. Effective control of disinfection chemistries, UV-C and dry-heat, litter and humidity control, and dust suppression is analyzed. Nutritional immunomodulators, vaccine gaps, and advances in mucosal immunity are described. Surveillance systems, biosecurity at chick transfer, and HVAC cost–benefit aspects have been combined within the One-Health approach to mitigate exposed workers' health risks. These domains have been consolidated which provides ‘roadmap’ for risk assessment, focused monitoring, and tiered interventions aimed at mitigating the risk of airborne cryptosporidiosis in intensive poultry systems.
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