Mycoplasma gallisepticum in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) and other wild birds associated with poultry production facilities.

Since 1994, an epidemic of conjunctivitis caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) has spread throughout the eastern population of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). The adaptation of MG to a free-flying avian species presents potential problems for the control of mycoplasmosis in commercial poultry. To evaluate risks associated with this emerging problem, a field survey was conducted to assess prevalence of MG infection in house finches and other passerine birds associated with poultry farms. Between November 1997 and March 1999, 1058 birds were captured by mist net or trap at 17 farms and at 10 feeder stations in northeast Georgia. Birds were bled and screened by serum plate agglutination (SPA) for antibodies to MG. Birds with negative or weak positive SPA results were released at capture sites, and those with strong positive SPA reactions were kept for further evaluation. Necropsies were performed on selected house finches and individuals of 11 other passerine species, and samples were collected for MG testing by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), hemagglutination inhibition, and histopathology. Testing revealed 19.1% of 671 birds caught at farms and 11.6% of 387 birds caught at feeder sites were SPA positive for MG. Three house finches captured on farms were positive for MG by culture and PCR, whereas three from feeder sites were positive only by PCR. No MG isolates were made from tufted titmice (Baeolophus bicolor), but 40% were positive by PCR. Individuals from 10 additional species were SPA positive only. Results suggest that MG persists at low levels in house finches in northeast Georgia and that tufted titmice may be nonclinical carriers of MG or a related mycoplasma. Positive SPA reactions in other species may be caused by nonspecific reactions or contact exposure. Current biosecurity recommendations should be sufficient to minimize risks of transmission between wild and domestic birds.     

Chemotaxis in Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Boyden-type chemotactic chambers were used to demonstrate that Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) was capable of migrating into chemotactic membranes. Scanning electron microscopy was used to confirm that MG could penetrate the membranes. To further demonstrate the invasive ability of MG, MG was deposited on the shell membranes of 9-day-old chicken embryos, and after 6 days of incubation, the presence of MG DNA in the allantoic fluids was detected by polymerase chain reactions. These results indicate that MG can penetrate cellular membrane, possibly by going through the porous cellular surface.     

Immunogenicity of Mycoplasma gallisepticum

The serological response and protective immunity elicited in the chicken by the pathogenic Ap3AS strain and the moderately pathogenic 80083 strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and variants of strain 80083 attenuated by repeated passage in mycoplasma broth were investigated. Strain 80083 elicited a substantial serum antibody response after administration either in drinking water or by conjunctival sac instillation to 7-week-old SPF chickens. No vaccinated chickens developed air sac lesions when challenged by intra-abdominal (IA) injection with the virulent Ap3AS strain. Chickens vaccinated with strain 80083M (50 broth passages) showed only a weak serological response but were substantially protected when challenged 4 weeks after vaccination. Chickens vaccinated with 80083H (100 broth passages) were serologically negative 4 weeks after vaccination and developed severe air sac lesions after challenge. Thirty-seven-week-old hens vaccinated 6 months previously with strain 80083 had high serum antibody levels and were completely protected against IA challenge with the homologous strain. However, 4/6 showed mild air sac lesions when challenged intra-abdominally with strain Ap3AS. Another group showed high M. gallisepticum serum antibody levels 6 months after vaccination with strain Ap3AS but 4/6 and 2/6 showed mild lesions after IA challenge with strains Ap3AS or 80083, respectively. Strains 80083 or 80083M were administered by conjunctival sac instillation to susceptible 11-week-old commercial pullets at the time of fowl pox vaccination. The concurrent use of both vaccines had no apparent adverse effect on the health of the chickens. Similar protection against IA challenge with strain Ap3AS was produced with the M. gallisepticum vaccines whether used alone or in combination with fowl pox.     

鸡毒支原体研究概况

鸡毒支原体(MG)是对养禽业危害很大的支原体,主要导致禽类慢性呼吸道疾病(CRD),以禽的结膜炎、产蛋率及饲料转换率下降、屠宰率下降等为主要特征。MG可通过垂直和水平传播方式在鸡群中传播,每年给全球家禽产业带来巨大经济损失。随着对MG细胞表面抗原黏附素蛋白(pMGA)和PvpA、GapA的结构与功能研究的深入,K株、TG5株等MG疫苗研究也取得较大进展。由于抗生素的滥用,MG基因中也发生耐药突变,产生了QRDRs等抗药结构,导致MG在耐药性上也出现新的特点。论文主要对国内外MG的疫苗开发、耐药情况和检测技术等进行综述,旨在对家禽MG的综合防控提供借鉴。     

Virulence and transmissibility of Mycoplasma gallisepticum

The virulence of 4 low passage strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum obtained from different sources within Australia was studied by experimental infection of chickens. Strain Ap3AS, originally isolated from the air sac of a broiler chicken, produced severe air sac lesions following injection into the abdominal air sacs of 2-week or 3-week-old chickens, and adult hens. Strain 80083 which was isolated from a clinically normal broiler breeder hen was also capable of producing gross air sac lesions following intra-abdominal (IA) injection, although it did so less consistently than strain Ap3AS. Strain 82078 isolated from a layer hen and strain QXO which was isolated from a turkey were also moderately pathogenic in terms of the incidence and severity of lesions elicited following IA injection. Strains Ap3AS and 80083 both caused a substantial loss of egg production over a 5 week period after IA infection of 27-week-old hens. Neither strain Ap3AS nor 80083 caused gross lesions or loss of egg production when administered alone into the upper respiratory tract. However, when inoculated into the conjunctival sac in combination with the Vic S strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains Ap3AS and 80083 produced identical clinical signs of conjunctivitis. The mean numbers of M. gallisepticum in tracheal washings were significantly higher 2 weeks after infection in the group receiving strain 80083 in combination with IBV than in the group infected with strain Ap3AS and IBV (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

北京市鸡毒支原体和滑液囊支原体血清学调查

为了解北京市鸡毒支原体(Mycoplasma galliscepticum,MG)和滑液囊支原体(Mycoplasma synoviae,MS)感染情况,2019年从北京市10个区127个养鸡场(户),采集3 910份鸡血清样品,采用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)进行MG和MS感染抗体检测。结果显示:北京市10个区均有不同程度的MG和MS感染,场群阳性率分别介于78.95%～100%、68.42%～100%,样品阳性率分别介于59.35%～93.13%、50.0%～94.53%,平均场群阳性率分别为89.0%和86.6%,平均样品阳性率分别为79.0%和75.6%;第三季度的场群阳性率和第二季度的样品阳性率最高,第四季度场群阳性率和样品阳性率最低(P0.01);110～180日龄的MG样品阳性率、251～320日龄的MS样品阳性率最高,462日龄以上均最低(P0.01);规模化商品鸡场的MG和MS场群阳性率和样品阳性率均最高(P0.01);蛋鸡的MG和MS样品阳性率均高于肉鸡(P0.01)。结果表明,北京市MG和MS感染较为严重,第二、三季度高发,110～320日龄鸡群、规模化商品鸡场和蛋鸡群感染尤其严重。结果提示,应采取包括加强生物安全管理、种鸡净化、疫苗预防和药物治疗在内的综合管理措施,有效控制该地区MG、MS的流行。     

Genetic and antigenic relatedness between Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae

The two avian pathogens Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae were found, by Southern blot hybridization of their digested DNAs, to share genomic nucleotide sequences additional to those of the highly conserved ribosomal RNA genes. The assumption that some of the shared sequences encode for antigens or epitopes common to both mycoplasmas was supported by Western immunoblot analysis of cell proteins of one mycoplasma with specific antiserum to the other mycoplasma. Interestingly, the band patterns of reactive antigens were different for some of the M. gallisepticum strains, supporting the concept that the species is genotypically variable. The results of the present study may explain the cross-reactivity of the two mycoplasmas noted previously in a variety of routine serological tests.     

鸡毒支原体的分离鉴定及药敏试验

从云南地区某疑似慢性呼吸道病(CRD)的鸡场分离到1株支原体菌株,经菌落形态观察、血清学鉴定,证明该分离株为鸡毒支原体(MG)。     

应用多重套式PCR检测鸡毒支原体和鸡滑液囊支原体

根据已发表的鸡毒和鸡滑液支原体血凝素基因序列pMGA和vlhA各设计两对引物,建立鉴别诊断两种支原体的多重套式PCR方法,对其进行温度条件、Ⅱ步模板浓度优化及特异性、敏感性实验。该方法在两步PCR后能特异性地扩增出MG(408 bp)和MS(688 bp)两个目的片段。应用于临床样品检测,与支原体分离、SPA检测比较结果PCR灵敏度高于病原分离。     

A Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain-specific DNA probe

Total DNA from the vaccine F strain (K810) and the reference S6-strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) was cloned in Escherichia coli using the plasmid pUC8. A 6-kilobase fragment, specific for the vaccine strain, was identified by colony dot and Southern hybridization analyses. When labeled and used as a probe, this fragment hybridized with the homologous and one other vaccine F-strain (F2F10), but it did not hybridize with other MG strains (Fg38, S6, A5969, V503) or with three other species of avian mycoplasmas.     

Identification of species-specific and interspecies-specific polypeptides of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae

Temporal antisera (TA) prepared in susceptible Leg-horn-type chickens against Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M synoviae were evaluated to determine the extent of cross-reactivity in ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition tests. Species-specific and interspecies-specific polypeptides were identified after electrophoretic separation and protein immunoblotting with reference antisera, TA, and a monoclonal antibody specific for M gallisepticum. Mycoplasma gallisepticum antiserum cross-reacted with M synoviae polypeptides in ELISA and TA immunoblots. Two major M synoviae polypeptides (88 and 53 kilodaltons [kD]) cross-reacted with M gallisepticum antisera in TA immunoblots. An M gallisepticum polypeptide of 70 kD cross-reacted with M synoviae in TA immunoblots. In contrast, M gallisepticum and M synoviae reference antisera cross-reacted when immunoblotted with heterologous antigens. A monoclonal antibody specific for M gallisepticum bound to a 69-kD polypeptide in lectin-purified and whole-cell M gallisepticum protein fractions in immunoblot assays. The lectin-purified fraction hemagglutinated chicken RBC. Seemingly, the 69-kD polypeptide may constitute all or part of the M gallisepticum hemagglutinin.     

鸡毒支原体病的预防控制

鸡毒支原体病对家禽业的危害有目共睹,文章就该病的诊断、治疗、疫苗接种进行阐述,为有效控制该病提供积极的指导。     

Comparative study of Mycoplasma pulmonis and Mycoplasma gallisepticum infections in turkey sinus.

Infraorbital sinuses of young turkeys were injected with virulent strains of Mycoplasma pulmonis and Mycoplasma gallisepticum to compare the diseases caused by the 2 agents. Mycoplasma pulmonis did not cause visible swelling from large quantities of mucous exudate in the sinuses, such as occurs with M gallisepticum, and it could not be recovered by bacteriologic culture technique after 3 weeks. However, slight exudate did accompany the M pulmonis infection. Similarities between the disease caused by M pulmonis and that caused by M gallisepticum included lymphocytic infiltration in the submucosa, swollen epithelial cells, and loss of cilia from sinus epithelial cell surfaces. This strain of M pulmonis, which is pathogenic for rats, was only mildly pathogenic for turkeys and the infection did not persist for long.