The American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) has released the eighth edition of its Avian Diseases Manual, which is widely regarded in the poultry industry as the essential guide for diagnosing and managing diseases.

Because the manual primarily targets students, AAAP’s editorial committee felt that new information was needed to better understand the changing scope of poultry medicine, the association said in its announcement.

Editor and University of Montreal professor Martine Boulianne said while new pathogens of poultry continually emerge, the trend toward reducing the use of antimicrobials has opened the door for some old diseases to resurface.

“Furthermore, recent access to relatively cheap and rapid genome-sequencing techniques is changing the face of pathology,” she added.

Boulianne noted that sequencing the complete genomes of several pathogens, as well as comparative genomic analyses of commensal and virulent strains, has helped identify several virulence-associated genes. That, in turn, has helped scientists develop a better understanding of pathogenesis and the need to develop new preventive tools.

The Avian Disease Manual is available in print and digital formats. To purchase this and other books on avian medicine, visit the AAAP Bookstore.

AAAP is an international association whose mission is to promote scientific knowledge to enhance the health, well-being and productivity of poultry to provide safe and abundant food for the world.