Animal Health Service-GD, Arnsbergstraat 7, Deventer, the Netherlands.
Avian Pathol. 2012;41(2):141-9. doi: 10.1080/03079457.2011.652595.
Four meat turkey farms with a history of lameness were investigated for the presence of Mycoplasma synoviae by testing one flock per farm for antibodies with the rapid plate agglutination (RPA) test and/or for M. synoviae DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Flocks were sampled every 2 weeks from 6 weeks of age until slaughter. If PCR results were positive, tracheal swabs were taken for mycoplasma isolation and swollen joints were sampled for general bacteriology, mycoplasma culture and virology. In one flock, all M. synoviae diagnostic tests were negative but reovirus was isolated. In the other flocks, M. synoviae was the only pathogen associated with lameness due to joint disease. M. synoviae RPA tests became positive 6 to 8 weeks later than PCR. An experimental infection was then conducted in male meat turkeys in which a negative control group was sham inoculated at 8 weeks of age, while three other groups were inoculated intravenously with M. synoviae. Turkeys in group LCh were given 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU) of an arthropathic M. synoviae chicken strain at 8 weeks; group LHCh was given a low (10(5) CFU) dose at 8 weeks, followed by a high (10(8) CFU) dose at 12 weeks, of the same chicken strain; and group HTu was inoculated with 10(8) CFU of a M. synoviae turkey joint isolate from the field study. Post-mortem examination, histopathology, serology, bacteriology and mycoplasma culture were performed at 19 weeks of age. A dose effect was found after comparing the LCh and the LHCh groups. No significant difference was observed between the HTu (10(8) CFU/bird) and the LCh (10(5) CFU/bird) group regarding the number of turkeys with arthritis, the number of M. synoviae reisolations and the mean microscopic lesion scores of joints, indicating that the M. synoviae chicken strain has greater arthropathogenic potential and that infection of turkeys in the field with such a strain may possibly have a greater clinical and economic impact.
对 4 个有跛行病史的火鸡养殖场进行了调查，以检测每个养殖场的一种禽类是否存在滑液支原体，使用快速平板凝集 (RPA) 试验检测抗体，或使用聚合酶链反应 (PCR) 检测 M. synoviae DNA。从 6 周龄开始，每 2 周对禽类进行采样，直到屠宰。如果 PCR 结果为阳性，则采集气管拭子进行支原体分离，采集肿胀关节进行一般细菌学、支原体培养和病毒学检测。在一个养殖场中，所有 M. synoviae 诊断检测均为阴性，但分离出了呼肠孤病毒。在其他养殖场中，由于关节疾病，只有 M. synoviae 与跛行有关。M. synoviae RPA 检测结果比 PCR 结果阳性晚 6 至 8 周。然后在雄性肉火鸡中进行了一项实验感染，其中阴性对照组在 8 周龄时进行了假接种，而另外 3 组则通过静脉接种了 M. synoviae。LCh 组在 8 周龄时给予 10(5)个鸡源关节炎支原体菌株的集落形成单位 (CFU)；LHCh 组在 8 周龄时给予低剂量 (10(5) CFU)，12 周龄时给予相同鸡源菌株的高剂量 (10(8) CFU)；HTu 组接种了来自现场研究的 field study 的 field study 火鸡关节分离株 10(8) CFU 的 M. synoviae。19 周龄时进行了剖检、组织病理学、血清学、细菌学和支原体培养。通过比较 LCh 和 LHCh 组，发现存在剂量效应。在关节炎禽类数量、M. synoviae 再分离数量和关节平均微观病变评分方面，HTu(10(8) CFU/只)与 LCh(10(5) CFU/只)组之间没有显著差异，表明鸡源 M. synoviae 菌株具有更大的关节致病性，在野外感染火鸡的此类菌株可能会对临床和经济产生更大的影响。
