Poultry health programs that protect state and national flocks

For decades, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, has helped maintain Texas poultry flocks with utmost dedication by detecting the poultry industry’s most significant disease threats. Over the past seven years, TVMDL’s laboratories performed more than 1 million tests for avian influenza, Mycoplasma, and Salmonella. 

TVMDL also oversees two foundational poultry health programs: the Texas Pullorum-Typhoid (PT) Program and the Texas’ contributions to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).

The PT Program helps keep Texas poultry flocks free of pullorum disease (Salmonella pullorum) and fowl typhoid (Salmonella gallinarum), two bacterial diseases that can be devastating in young poultry, causing mortality rates of up to 80%.

“The PT Program utilizes authorized testers and Texas Animal Health Commission inspectors to test flocks and ensure the state maintains PT-clean status,” said TVMDL Poultry Programs Administrator Sydney Rosario.

Poultry offered for sale, breeding, or public exhibition must meet PT testing requirements. Participation in NPIP also requires PT-clean status in Texas.

The NPIP is a voluntary disease surveillance and certification program that helps poultry owners monitor flock health and demonstrate compliance with nationally recognized health standards.

When producers enroll in NPIP, they can expect several benefits that might help build buyer confidence, including program recognition and official listing in the USDA NPIP participant directory. Participation can also support the transportation and sale of poultry by helping producers meet industry and regulatory requirements.

Beyond supporting these programs, TVMDL’s poultry laboratories in Gonzales and Center provide a wide range of diagnostic services for both commercial and backyard flocks. Available testing includes PCR, serology, bacteriology, parasitology, necropsy, and pathology.

“Our diagnostic results guide veterinarians and producers in making science-based management decisions,” Rosario said. “If we detect Salmonella or other bacterial pathogens, producers can take immediate action to protect both flock health and public health.”

Diagnostic testing plays a critical role in identifying disease early. According to Rosario, disease surveillance remains one of the most effective tools for protecting poultry health.

“Prevention is everything,” Rosario said. “The earlier a disease is detected, the easier it is to contain and prevent transmission to other farms and flocks.”

Protecting poultry health is a collaborative effort. Through partnerships with veterinarians, producers, and regulatory agencies, including the Texas Animal Health Commission, USDA, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, TVMDL helps protect the health of poultry flocks across Texas and beyond.

To learn more about PT testing requirements and flock certification, visit TVMDL’s Texas Pullorum-Typhoid Program webpage.

For more information about TVMDL’s diagnostic services visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call the College Station laboratory at 888.646.5623, the Canyon laboratory at 888.646.5624, the Gonzales laboratory at 830.672.2834, or the Center laboratory at 936.598.4451.