Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and mycoplasmosis caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)
In order to minimize the risk of introduction and spread of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) and mycoplasmosis caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) in Quebec, the EQCMA Board of Directors mobilized the Health Technical Team in 2010 to develop an intervention protocol in cases of infectious laryngotracheitis and mycoplasmosis caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum in commercial poultry flocks in Quebec.
The EQCMA’s mission is to work in conjunction with government authorities and stakeholders in the poultry industry to prevent, plan and intervene against targeted poultry diseases in order to minimize their potential impact on the whole of the Quebec sector. The EQCMA provides all producers and stakeholders in the poultry sector with human and technical resources to help with effective prevention and intervention strategies against any outbreak of notifiable poultry diseases.
The EQCMA coordinates measures to be implemented during cases of ILT or MG in a flock of commercial poultry in Quebec as a support service offered to the producers concerned. The measures recommended in the protocol aim at rapid control and eradication of any positive case of ILT or MG on a production site under quota or for flocks of replacement birds intended for production under quota, as well as to minimize the impact of the outbreak of these diseases in surrounding production sites and production sites with epidemiological links to the infected herd.
The objective of a concerted approach between partners in the control and eradication of these two diseases is to prevent them from becoming endemic in Quebec’s poultry herd and threatening economic viability.
Reporting
Although ILT and MG are currently diseases designated by regulation of the Quebec government, no control measures are prescribed by the MAPAQ in the event of an outbreak. However, upon suspicion or confirmation (Annex 26 and 31) of one of these two diseases, the producer is obligated by the production laws and regulations to submit a declaration to the corresponding office and must respect certain conditions for the control and eradication of the disease. The offices entrust certain responsibilities to the EQCMA which then applies the measures contained in this protocol. In all cases, the EQCMA collaborates with the MAPAQ in reporting any new suspicious or positive cases and vice versa.
The producer must report any suspected or positive cases, either directly or through his veterinary practitioner, of ILT or MG to the EQCMA in three ways:
1) directly to the coordinator or, in their absence, the EQCMA project managers;
2) via the emergency line 1 88-VOLAILLE ( 1 888 652-4553 ) ;
3) through his office.
As soon as a suspected or positive case of ILT or MG is declared by a producer, by an employee identified by the latter or by his practicing veterinary doctor, the EQCMA coordinator collects relevant information on the case in order to provide assistance to the producer and ensure the implementation of self-quarantine and biosecurity measures, the preliminary determination of the risk area and the actions to be undertaken on the farm to limit the possibility of spread of the disease.