Welcome to the homepage of the Institute for Poultry Diseases. You can find us at Campus Dueppel, Königsweg 63 in house 31 (location).

The Institute of Poultry Diseases at Freie Universität Berlin is responsible for the more than 10,000 bird species that are grouped in the Aves (birds) class. These species comprise food-producing animals like broilers, layers, or turkeys and their breeder flocks, as well as pet-, zoo-, and wild birds.

---

Teaching profile

The Institute of Poultry Diseases offers students of the eighth semester lectures and clinical demonstrations on diseases of poultry, ornamental, zoo-, and wild birds. The main topics are aetiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy, and prophylaxis of infectious diseases, the management of commercial poultry and ornamental birds as well as laboratory diagnostic methods. Students can choose elective courses to deepen their knowledge in selected topics, to which external lecturers are invited as well. Further, a two-day course is held for ninth and tenth semester students in the context of clinical rotation, in which propaedeutics, laboratory diagnostic methods and necropsy is practiced, and a poultry farm (e.g. egg laying hens) in the surrounding area of Berlin is visited.

Research

The main focus of our work is the diagnosis of a wide range of poultry infectious diseases by gross pathological, virological, bacteriological, parasitological, and molecular examinations. A focus of research lies on the investigation of various viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens of poultry. Further research projects deal with questions concerning antibiotic-resistant microorganisms as well as animal welfare aspects.

In addition to the various accredited laboratory divisions, the Institute of Poultry Diseases has a division for backyard poultry and ornamental birds.