Prevalence of Common Diseases in Kabul City Broiler Chicken Farms through the Evaluation of Macroscopic Pathological Changes

The poultry industry is a vital segment of the nation's livestock sector, ensuring food security and bolstering economic stability. However, the persistent occurrence of diseases presents a significant challenge, jeopardizing poultry's health and productivity and causing substantial financial losses for farmers. These challenges threaten not only farmers' livelihoods but also the industry's overall sustainability. This cross-sectional study, conducted between August and mid-October 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence of significant poultry diseases to inform effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Findings revealed chronic respiratory disease as the most prevalent condition, affecting 22% of the surveyed chickens, followed by ascites and intestinal inflammation (16% each), infectious bronchitis (12%), infectious bursal disease (10%), and coccidiosis (8%). Identifying common disease strains through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is recommended to address these challenges. These insights should guide the development of targeted vaccines, enabling the industry to manage disease outbreaks better and ensure long-term sustainability.