Wildlife Surveillance during a Mycoplasma gallisepticum Epornitic in Domestic Turkeys

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Abstract
During a major M. gallisepticum (MG) epornitic in domestic turkeys, tracheal swabs were collected and cultured from 477 and 770 potentially exposed wild mammals [rodents] and birds, respectively. All culture attempts were negative. Serum-plate (SP) and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests on bird sera revealed low titers (.ltoreq. 1:40) in 0.9% of tested house sparrows, 1.1% of brown-headed cowbirds, 35.7% of common grackles, 1.0% of starlings and 16.6% of eastern meadowlarks. Low titers seem to have resulted from birds feeding on contaminated litter and becoming sensitized. Wildlife did not appear to be involved in transmission or maintenance of MG, but may have been mechanical carriers of this pathogen.

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