THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMUNOSTIMULANTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF POULTRY DISEASES

Improvement of consumer consciousness and the increasing tendency towards consumption of natural products, and increasing resistance to antibiotics and antiparasitic medicines, have increasingly limited utilization of medicines for protection from diseases. It has also become impossible to use antibiotics and similar medicines for animals in order for preventive purposes except medical treatments as a result of recent legal arrangements and this situation caused new approaches for fighting with diseases. People have now focused on using as natural as possible products for treatment and prevention purposes. Immunostimulants are natural or synthetic components that are used at pets and poultries for various purposes, such as health, growth and performance increase, and they stimulate humoral and non-specific cellular immune system against pathogens. Studies showed that immunostimulants provide immunity against various disease factors, such as bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases, increase the survival rate and productivity, increase the effect of vaccines and antibiotics. They are preferred also because they are safer than chemotherapeutics. Taking necessary actions to protect hencoop from viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases and to prevent economic losses is important in poultry farming. It seems more suitable to use immunostimulants for prevention purposes before the disease occurs. However, since they have effectiveness increasing properties as adjuvants, it is also possible to state that they will be more effective for treatment if they can be used in combination. Therefore it is expected that therapeutically effective components can be developed in recent future with single or combined immunostimulant trials, which are not harmful to animals, humans and environment.