Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma lipofaciens strain ML64 for turkey embryos

Abstract

Mycoplasma lipofaciens strain ML64, isolated from an egg of a northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), has been found to be pathogenic for chicken embryos causing mortality during the first 2 weeks of incubation. The same strain was inoculated in turkey embryos to evaluate its pathogenicity and its ability to be transmitted laterally in the hatchery. The strain was found to be pathogenic for turkey embryos, causing a high mortality (88.9%) during late incubation as well as haemorrhages of the legs, dwarfing, curled toes and a severe, multifocal, purulent to necrotizing bronchopneumonia. In addition, lateral transmission between turkey poults hatched from infected eggs and poults from non-infected controls was observed in the incubator.