Isolation and identification of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from commercial broiler flocks on the Delmarva peninsula.

The growth and biological characteristics of isolates of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) from commercial broiler chickens in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A. appear to be identical to those previously reported in the literature. The clinical disease and lesions are also similar to those reported from other poultry growing regions including South Africa and Europe. The diagnostic cases included in this report were often associated with known respiratory pathogens, namely, lentogenic Newcastle disease virus, and infectious bronchitis virus, and Escherichia coli bacteria. The role of ORT in the disease cases presented in this report is unclear.