Understanding immunology in disease development and control

Two functional aspects of the avian immune system, the humoral and the cell-mediated arms, provide the basis for the preventive and protective response against disease-causing microorganisms. On the other hand, certain avian diseases may induce a transient or permanent immunosuppressive state in one or both of these arms, leading to increased disease susceptibility. In addition to the classical immune response, manifested as antibody production or effector cell activation several cytokines and metabolites are also produced. The consequence of cytokine- and metabolite-mediated microenvironments may be either beneficial or result in a noninfectious immunopathology. Nevertheless, the integrity of the immune system and its functional modulation by factors such as genetics, nutrition, and prophylactic approaches continue to be an important focus of attention in current poultry research and production efforts.