禽源致病性大腸桿菌 (avian pathogenic Escherichia coli; APEC) 感染引發孵化率降低、弱雛、氣囊炎、腫頭症候群與敗血症等問題，導致產蛋及產肉量降低，在世界各國的家禽產業皆造成重大經濟損失。

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), the causal organism of infection in chickens, is responsible for large economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide.