"The result is a refreshing balance between readability and practicality, underpinned by true science and the appliance of science... as a comprehensive resource on the breadth of information available with the combination of general principles, up-to-date advice, coupled with an excellent provision of further reading and resources for every chapter, makes this an essential addition to any poultry library!" (Dr Stephen A. Lister, review in Avian Pathology)Diseases remain a significant burden to poultry production and its future, with outbreaks of disease resulting in catastrophic financial losses to the sector. Whilst it is widely recognised that vaccines have a major role in inducing protection, they can only be considered as part of the solution to this rapidly growing problem.Optimising poultry flock health instead reviews ways of optimising preventative measures to reduce the risk of disease in flocks. The book reviews the wealth of recent research on the mechanisms of transmission for infectious diseases and how this understanding can be used to improve poultry flock health.By showing how poultry flock health can be optimised at different stages of production, the book showcases the extent of preventative measures available to farmers and producers, as well as how these measures can be implemented effectively to protect their flocks against disease.

Part 1 Understanding infectious diseases in poultry1.Understanding the molecular biology of avian viruses and their role in poultry health: Alejandro Banda, Mississippi State University, USA; 2.Advances in understanding bacterial diseases in poultry: challenges and perspectives: Surya Paudel, Michael Hess and Claudia Hess, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; 3.Advances in understanding parasite infections of poultry: protozoa and the red mite: Damer P. Blake, Royal Veterinary College, UK; and Dieter Liebhart, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; Part 2 Preventing diseases in poultry4.Improving biosecurity in poultry flocks: Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt and Manon Racicot, Université de Montréal, Canada; and Mattias Delpont, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, France; 5.Nutritional strategies to boost immune response in poultry: M. T. Kidd, University of Arkansas, USA; and P.F. Surai, Vitagene and Health Research Centre, UK, Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K.I. Skryabin, Russia, Trakia University, Bulgaria, Szent Istvan University, Hungary and Saint-Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine, Russia; 6.Developments in vaccines to protect poultry against diseases: Yongxiu Yao and Venugopal Nair, Viral Oncogenesis Group - Pirbright Institute, UK; Incubation and chick health: Ron Meijerhof, Poultry Performance Plus, The Netherlands; Part 3 Optimising health at differing stages in poultry production7.Optimizing the health of broilers: Edgar Orlando Oviedo-Rondón, North Carolina State University, USA; 8.Optimizing the health of poultry layers: Yuko Sato, Iowa State University, USA; 9.Optimizing the health of broiler breeder birds: Rick van Emous, Wageningen Livestock Research, The Netherlands; and André Steentjes, Veterinary Centre Someren, The Netherlands;