Megan Lighty, DVM, PhD, DACPV

Megan Lighty, DVM, PhD, DACPV

  • Associate Clinical Professor
  • Avian Diagnostic and Outreach Veterinarian
Animal Diagnostic Lab
131 Pastureview Road
University Park, PA 16802

Areas of Expertise

  • Diagnostic pathology – avian species
  • Field diagnostic investigations – chickens, turkeys, upland gamebirds, waterfowl, hatchery, and processing
  • Emphasis on diagnosis, prevention, and control of infectious diseases of commercial poultry
  • Turkey production medicine, including clostridial diseases and reoviral hepatitis

Education

  • PhD, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Virginia Tech, 2015
  • DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 2013
  • BS, Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 2007

Specialty Board Certification
Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians (DACPV), 2017

Professional Experience
2020-Present: Associate Clinical Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
2015-2020: Staff Veterinarian, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Willmar, MN
2007-2015: Graduate Assistant/Graduate Teaching Assistant, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Publications

Listeriosis and the Dangers That May Lurk Among the Flock
Penn State Extension, Kutsaya, Sophia, Frye, Emily, Niel, Kayla, Lighty, M, 2025

Respiratory Disease, Diagnostics, and Treatment
North American Veterinary Community, Niel, Kayla, Lighty, M, 2025

Elevated mortality in a pasture-raised, organic layer flock
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Frye, Emily, Niel, Kayla, Lighty, M, 2025

Submitting Poultry Cases to the Animal Diagnostic Lab
Penn State Extension Website, Bubka, Dana, Niel, K, Lighty, Megan, 2024

Understanding Poultry Medication Regulations
Penn State Extension Website, Bubka, Dana, Niel, K, Lighty, Megan, 2024

Respiratory distress and mortality in broiler chickens
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Elissa, Jonathan, Niel, K, Lighty, Megan, 2024

Fowl Cholera
Merck Veterinary Manual, Lighty, Megan, 2024

Avian metapneumovirus
Penn State Extension Website, Elissa, Jonathan, Niel, K, Lighty, Megan, 2024

Diagnostic investigation of avian reovirus field variants circulating in broiler chickens in Pennsylvania of United States between 2017 and 2022
Avian Pathology, Shabbir, Muhammad Zubair, Yu, Haiyang, Lighty, Megan E., Dunn, Patricia, Wallner-Pendleton, Eva A., Lu, Huaguang, 2024

Elevated mortality in 3-week-old commercial broiler chickens
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Niel, Kayla, Elissa, Jonathan, Lighty, Megan, 2023

Poultry Cannibalism: Prevention and Treatment
Penn State Extension, Niel, Kayla, 2023

Prevention the Best Medicine for Poultry Farmers
Lancaster Farming, Lighty, Megan, 2023

Vaccination for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
Penn State Extension, Niel, K, Lighty, Megan, Elissa, Jonathan, 2023

Blackhead
NAGA News, Lighty, Megan, 2022

Refining the definition of the avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) pathotype through inclusion of high-risk clonal groups
Poultry Science, Johnson, Timothy J., Miller, Elizabeth A., Flores-Figueroa, Cristian, Munoz-Aguayo, Jeannette, Cardona, Carol, Fransen, Katie, Lighty, Megan, Gonder, Eric, Nezworski, Jill, Haag, Adam, Behl, Michelle, Kromm, Michelle, Wileman, Ben, Studniski, Marissa, Singer, Randall S., 2022

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): What to Look For
Lancaster Farming, Lighty, Megan, 2022

Poultry Diseases: Where to Get Help
Penn State Extension Website, Lighty, Megan, Dunn, P, 2021

Aspergillosis in Poultry
Merck Veterinary Manual, Kromm, Michelle, Lighty, Megan, 2020

Backyard Turkey Health
Penn State Extension Website, Lighty, Megan, 2020

Deworming Backyard Poultry
Penn State Extension Website, Lighty, Megan, 2020

Clostridium septicum strain VAT12 chromosome, complete genome, Mahsoub, Hassan, Lighty, Megan, Sriranganathan, N, Pierson, Frank, 2019

Incidence of clostridial dermatitis (cellulitis) and factors for development of the disease in turkeys
Journal of Applied Poultry Research, Lighty, Megan E., Elvinger, François, Evans, Robert D., Sriranganathan, Nammalwar, Leroith, Tanya, Pierson, F. William, 2015