title: Isolation and Identification of Mycoplasma synoviae From Suspected Ostriches by Polymerase Chain Reaction, in Kerman Province, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycoplasma synoviae is an important avian pathogen which can cause both respiratory disease and synovial joint inflammation (synovitis) in poultry. Mycoplasmas spp. may cause the respiratory system infection in ostriches with symptoms such as inflammation of the nose, trachea and also damages of lungs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to use the M. synoviae specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and microbiological methods in order to isolate and identify M. synoviae from suspected ostriches in Kerman Province, Iran, and compare the two methods (microbiological and PCR) employed to confirm Mycoplasmal contamination of ostrich lungs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty three samples of different parts of lung and trachea were immediately collected after slaughtering the ostriches in Kerman Province six months. Samples were cultured in the same conditions in pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) broth and to isolate and identify M. synoviae, PCR and microbiological methods were conducted. The identified isolates were confirmed by specific amplification of 16S rRNA gene (163 and 207 base pair).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the current study, 25 and 17 out of 53 ostrich samples were identified as Mycoplasma-positive in the PCR and microbiological methods, respectively; and 13 out of 25 the mentioned Mycoplasma-positive samples were also confirmed by PCR method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study showed that PCR method is time consuming, effective, and efficient method to detect M. synoviae infection in ostriches. PCR method could be recommended as an alternative for culturing; M. synoviae was isolated from ostriches for first time in Kerman Province, Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kerman Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tebyanian
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kerman Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hanif
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mirhosseiny
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kerman Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kheirkhah
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassanshahian
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kerman Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamze
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Farhadian
keywords: Microbiological methods; Mycoplasma synoviae; PCR