Detection of Bordetella avium by Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Lungs and Tracheas of Turkeys with Pneumonia

Authors: SÜHEYLA TÜRKYILMAZ, SEVİN KIRDAR, FULYA OCAK, ŞEBNUR HAZIMOĞLU

Abstract: Lung, trachea, and serum samples obtained from turkeys showing clinical signs of respiratory disease were examined for the presence of Bordetella avium infection (bordetellosis) using culture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The material of this study consisted of 2 live turkeys at the age of 24 weeks with respiratory distress, nasal discharge, and cough that had been brought to the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Adnan Menderes University. The results of the study show that B. avium, the causative agent of bordetellosis, was not isolated from either the lung or trachea, while both trachea and lung samples were positive in PCR. The presence of antibodies against B. avium was detected in all serum samples by ELISA. However, sera samples were negative in PCR. In conclusion, it was thought that ELISA is a practical assay while the results of ELISA and PCR were found complementary. This study reported the presence of B. avium from turkeys in Turkey for the first time by PCR. However, further studies should be planned with more materials to understand the epidemiological importance of the disease in poultry in this region.

Keywords: Bordetella avium, turkey, isolation, ELISA, PCR

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