My name is Imre Horváth‑Papp, and I am a poultry specialist veterinarian. I graduated in 1980 from the University of Veterinary Science in Budapest. In 2008 I got the degree of poultry specialised vet from the University of Veterinary Science in Budapest. My entire professional career has been devoted to poultry. I have worked in research, in the commercial sector, and—during the past two decades—in consultancy. This, in truth, is the essence of veterinary medicine: to identify the cause of disease and to provide appropriate recommendations for its prevention. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is often extremely challenging. It requires a properly evaluated case history, the assessment of clinical signs, necropsy, and very often the performance of suitable laboratory examinations. As János Mészáros often emphasised, these four elements rarely align perfectly. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the attending veterinarian to determine which factors should be given greatest weight in reaching a diagnosis.
Throughout my career, I have never been ashamed to learn. A highly experienced British colleague, Mike Clarke, always taught me that if you do not know something, you should simply say that you do not know. There is no shame in it. By doing so, you reinforce that when you do state something, you truly know it.
Over the years, I have been fortunate to meet several experts of considerable knowledge, from whom I learned many important lessons. As an expression of my gratitude, I list them here — without claiming completeness. Sadly, some of them are no longer with us.
János Tanyi – from him I learned the importance of a correctly evaluated case history
Béla Lomniczi – he taught me a great deal about viral evolution
János Mészáros – the four cardinal pillars of diagnosis
Ferenc Vetési – the importance of necropsy and of precise, accurate pathological reporting
Vilmos Palya – the selection of appropriate laboratory methods and the objective interpretation of results
Keeping these principles in mind has been of immense help in my work. Naturally, during my practical professional activity I have encountered countless cases—most were straightforward to resolve, but at times it was extremely difficult to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. Since the advent of digital technology, I have taken as many professional photographs and videos as possible. By combining practical experience, the principles I have learned, and a vast body of scientific literature, I am compiling a comprehensive reference work summarising what we currently know about broiler diseases. Having now reached a length of 2,000 pages, I published it in 2026. I believe that its content will be of great assistance to veterinarians and professionals working with broilers. Information and videos related to the book can be found on this website.
I have now completed the publication of my book, which allows me to devote more time to developing this website. I hope that only a few minor bugs will appear, and I greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have.
I continue to visit poultry producers to help them improve their results. Depending on each case, I plan to record additional videos and share them here, so please keep an eye on the NEWS section.
My book is now available in Hungary through A/3 Kft (https://www.a3shop.hu/). I am currently working with a distributor for international sales, and I hope the book will be available throughout Europe soon. Please check this site regularly for updates and new developments.
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