ILT in Poultry

By Agri-Food Surveillance Systems Branch of (AAFRD)

Biosecurity essential to control ILT

Biosecurity is essential to control diseases such as Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT).  The essential elements of biosecurity include the following:

• Do not allow other people to enter your barns. This element is critical if these people are in contact with other poultry, especially fancy or hobby flocks.
• If people must enter your barns, they should use boots and coveralls that you provide or be able to assure you that they have not been on another poultry farm that day.
• Use a boot dip to help control disease, and change the dip frequently (daily).
• Do not visit other poultry operations unless necessary. Wash and disinfect your boots and clothing before using them in your own barns after you return.
• Limit vehicle traffic on your farm site to reduce the chances for contamination that you may track into your barns.
• Do not allow animals access to your barns.
• Store all dead carcasses in a closed container to prevent scavengers from dragging them around and spreading viruses or bacteria.
• Do not have fancy birds and commercial poultry on the same farm. Employees of commercial farms should not have fancy flocks on their own farms.
• Perform thorough cleanout and disinfection between flocks. The ILT virus can survive for a long time in a carcass, especially if the carcass is frozen. The virus dies quickly when exposed to sunlight or disinfectants.