Isolation of < em > Mycoplasma iowae < /em > in turkey flocks with skeletal abnormalities: a retrospective study

Avian Pathol. 2021 Apr 15:1-22. doi: 10.1080/03079457.2021.1914816. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMycoplasma iowae is a pathogen affecting the turkey industry which is commonly associated with decreased hatchability and leg abnormalities in the young progeny. This Mycoplasma was in the spotlight more in the past than today since its prevalence has been decreasing over time. Reports of M. iowae in turkeys showing reduced growth performances, leg problems and skeletal abnormalities are scarce although there is no report whether this pathogen has been completely eradicated in commercial turkeys. Additionally, there is no comprehensive epidemiological data available on M. iowae prevalence in any country. Therefore, we carried out a retrospective study to evaluate the prevalence of the infection and any correlation between necropsy findings and M. iowae presence in Italian turkeys between 2011 and 2012. Necropsy was performed on 101 dead turkey submissions presented for diagnostic purposes. Fifty-six submissions (55.4%) tested positive for M. iowae, most of which (69.6%) were between 4 and 7 weeks of age. Skeletal abnormalities were observed in 36 cases (35.6%). The logistic regression analysis revealed that the probability of finding a M. iowae-positive submission was four times higher if the animals showed skeletal abnormalities (OR=4.48, IC 95%: 1.66 - 12.15). This is the first retrospective, cross-sectional study on M. iowae field outbreaks in commercial turkeys. These results...
Source: Avian Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Source Type: research