ABSTRACT
Poultry, encompassing meat and eggs from chickens, turkeys, game birds and waterfowl, has become a staple protein source around the world. Poultry meat accounts for 28% of total meat produced in the world (https://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4252e/y4252e05b. htm). Poultry meat consumption has risen from 3.2 kg per capita in 1966 to 13.8 kg per capita in 2015 in developed countries, and is expected to increase to 17.2 kg per capita by 2030 (https://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4252e/y4252e05b.htm). In developing countries, poultry meat consumption has risen by nearly the same amount but on a slightly smaller scale (1.2 kg per capita in 1966 to 10.5 kg per capita in 2015). By far, the largest production sector in poultry is chickens, and the United States leads the world in chicken production. As the demand for poultry meat continues to grow, production of chickens will have to match pace. To do this, advances in husbandry, genetics and nutrition are essential. These advances are all for naught, however, if the main driver of loss in poultry production is not controlled: disease.
