title: Mycoplasma iowae associated with chondrodystrophy in commercial turkeys.
abstract: Opportunistic observations of and necropsies from selected commercial (meat) turkey flocks revealed skeletal lesions consistent with chondrodystrophy, characterized by leg and vertebral deformities, occurring at very low incidences in turkeys from two primary breeds and various multiplier breeder flocks. Mycoplasma organisms were cultured and identified as Mycoplasma iowae by immunofluorescence and polymerase chain reaction from some of the vertebral lesions but not from leg joints. This is the first detailed description of the gross and microscopic lesions of vertebral chondrodystrophy associated with M. iowae, which should now be considered in the differential diagnosis of turkeys with these lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA. david_ley@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: Rosemary A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Marusak
authors.forename: Eduardo J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Vivas
authors.forename: H John
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Oscar J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D045793:Mycoplasma iowae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013131:Spine / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014422:Turkeys
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial