title: Effects of an S6 strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum challenge at onset of lay on digestive and reproductive tract characteristics in commercial layers.
abstract: Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), a reproductive/respiratory pathogen in poultry, has been implicated in suboptimum egg production and decreased hatchability. Commercial layer hens raised in a controlled environment were inoculated with the S6 strain of MG at 20 wk of age. The S6 inoculation had no effect on bird weight, egg production, digestive tract weight and length, or histopathologic lesion scores, although significant differences were noted in the lengths and weights of various portions of the reproductive tract. This study shows that S6MG inoculation does not detrimentally affect layer hen performance when in the absence of environmental stressors customary to a caged layer facility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Branton
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Peebles
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Willeford
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Pharr
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Maslin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D009929:Organ Size; D010053:Ovary / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010057:Oviducts / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000502:physiology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology