Dr James Guy, professor of veterinary virology at North Carolina State University, US, has become the proud winner of the first-ever Charles Beard Research Excellence Award.
Dr Guy received the prize from Charles Beard himself at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE), in Atlanta, GA, United States.
USPoultry, the United States Poultry and Egg Association, decided to install the annual award to honour a researcher whose completed work, funded by USPoultry, has had a significant positive impact for the poultry industry.
Guy has various areas of study, like Coronavirus and astrovirus infections of turkeys; infectious laryngotracheitis; and enteric diseases of turkeys.
Infectious proventriculitis
Most of all, however, Guy was honoured for his role in characterising the virus responsible infectious proventriculitis, a transmittible disease of chickens. The virus was identified as an adenovirus-like virus (AdLV).
The disease occurs commonly in broiler chickens and is associated with proventricular fragility, impaired growth (‘runting’), poor feed conversion, and impaired feed digestion. Additionally, the disease is responsible for increased processing costs due to greater numbers of reprocessed carcasses, downgrades and condemnations.
Dr Charles Beard served on the USPoultry Foundation’s Research Advisory Committee for more than 15 years. In 1993, he joined the US Poultry & Egg Association staff as vice president of research and guided the research programme for the next 17 years.
The IPPE 2013 has started today and will last until Thursday 31st January.
Related websites:
IPPE 2013
USPoultry