Management of Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry
Summary
Necrotic enteritis is an economically devastating intestinal disease of broiler and layer flocks, driven by Clostridium perfringens proliferation and toxin production. The withdrawal of in‐feed antibiotics in many regions has intensified interest in alternative control strategies. Effective management integrates multiple approaches: optimised nutrition to reduce predisposing factors such as high non‐starch polysaccharide diets; enhanced biosecurity and coccidiosis control to limit mucosal damage; targeted vaccination against NetB toxin to induce protective immunity; and strategic use of feed additives, including probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids and phytogenic compounds. These interventions aim to maintain gut barrier integrity, modulate immune responses and foster a balanced microbiome. Global implementation demands tailored programmes that reflect regional pathogen profiles, production systems and regulatory frameworks.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Management of Necrotic Enteritis in Poultry publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in management of necrotic enteritis in poultry across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Necrotic enteritis: Acute or subclinical intestinal disease in poultry caused by C. perfringens overgrowth and toxin release.
Clostridium perfringens: Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium responsible for necrotic enteritis in birds.
NetB toxin: Pore-forming protein produced by pathogenic C. perfringens type G strains and key virulence determinant in poultry disease.
Microbiome dysbiosis: Disruption of the normal intestinal microbial community, leading to loss of beneficial bacteria and expansion of pathogens.
Probiotics: Live microbial feed supplements that confer gut health benefits by competitive exclusion, immune modulation and metabolite production.
Chitinase: Enzyme secreted by C. perfringens that degrades chitin-like glycoproteins in the mucus layer, facilitating colonisation.
References
- Exploring the predictive power of jejunal microbiome composition in clinical and subclinical necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens: insights from a broiler chicken model. Journal of Translational Medicine (2024).
- Recent Trends on Mitigative Effect of Probiotics on Oxidative-Stress-Induced Gut Dysfunction in Broilers under Necrotic Enteritis Challenge: A Review. Antioxidants (2023).
- Clostridium perfringens chitinases, key enzymes during early stages of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. PLOS Pathogens (2024).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.