Genetic Diversity of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale Isolated from Chickens and Turkeys in the United States.

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is an important bacterial pathogen of great economic significance to poultry production. This bacterium causes severe disease in chickens and turkeys worldwide. The objective of this study was to characterize ORT isolates from two different geographic locations in the United States by multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

Variability Assessment of California Infectious Bronchitis Virus Variants.

On the basis of the data from the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, 1444 infectious bronchitis (IB) cases were diagnosed between 1997 and 2012. Epidemiologic analyses demonstrated two major IB virus (IBV) outbreak peaks, affecting mainly 35-to-49-day-old broiler chickens. California variant 1737 (CA1737) and California variant 1999 (Cal 99) IBV types were the most prevalent genotypes during the analyzed period.

Retrospective study of turkey viral hepatitis in California turkey flocks, 2000-2012.

Turkey viral hepatitis (TVH) is a disease characterized by an inflammation of the liver, and occasionally of the pancreas, of turkeys. Little is known about the occurrence of TVH in turkey flocks; thus, the aim of the present article is to summarize retrospectively 76 cases of TVH diagnosed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety System (CAHFS), University of California, Davis, in the years 2000 through 2012. Flocks diagnosed with TVH were between 7 and 61 days old, with an average age of 29.

New insights into morphological features of Hadjelia truncata (Spirurida: Habronematidae), as revealed by SEM.

Hadjelia truncata (Spirurida: Habronematidae) is a nematode found in the gizzard of several avian species. However, it has been reported pathogenic only in pigeons (Columba livia), in which it causes severe ventriculitis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the morphological aspects of adult worms of this nematode in detail.

Systemic histomoniasis associated with high mortality and unusual lesions in the bursa of Fabricius, kidneys, and lungs in commercial turkeys.

An outbreak of systemic histomoniasis in 9-to-11-wk-old meat-type male turkeys associated with high mortality is reported. Clinical signs in turkeys included anorexia, depression, diarrhea, loss of weight, and increased mortality between 7 and 13 wk of age. Seven-week cumulative mortality in the turkeys of affected houses ranged from 24% in one to 68% in the other compared with 1.

Systemic Mycoplasma synoviae infection in broiler chickens.

Systemic Mycoplasma synoviae infection in 47-day-old broiler chickens with septicaemic lesions and increased carcass condemnation rate is reported. The clinical history included respiratory signs and an enlarged keel bursa. Condemnations at the processing plant were due to airsacculitis and keel bursitis.

Omphalitis associated with Aspergillus fumigatus in poults.

Omphalitis associated with aspergillosis was diagnosed in four cases of commercial turkey poults ranging in age from 3 to 9 days old. In two cases, the mycotic agent present in the yolk sac was isolated and identified as Aspergillus fumigatus. In the other two cases, the fungi were identified as Aspergillus sp.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Salmonella arizonae from an integrated turkey operation.

Fifty cases submitted between 2000 and 2002 were selected for retrospective analysis to evaluate possible relationships between Salmonella arizonae isolated from breeder flocks, hatching eggs, and meat bird flocks belonging to a single turkey integrator. In all the meat bird cases selected for this study, arizonosis was the primary diagnosis. In birds under 1 month of age, clinical signs and pathologic changes were observed in older birds.

Focal transmural necrotic tracheitis in commercial meat turkeys.

This report describes an unusual presentation of severe focal necrotic tracheitis in a flock of 8-wk-old commercial turkeys. The flock was kept on a range that is located near a cotton field. The cotton field had been chemically defoliated 2 wk before the birds were submitted for necropsy.