Scientists
have discovered a blood test they were able to use to breed chickens with
greater resistance to harmful bacteria.
The
team working for the United States Department of Agriculture’s
Research Service used blood tests to identify roosters with high
levels of , cytokines and chemokines that mobilize their immune
response.
The
results, published in the journal Poultry Science, showed that the
susceptible broilers had more pathogens and signs of infection than
the resistant group.
Ultimately,
such resistance could mean fewer pathogens remaining on birds at the
processing plant and improved consumer safety, the research team
leader said.
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