title: The First Detection of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in New Zealand.
abstract: Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) has been considered exotic to New Zealand and thus, any samples from poultry suspected of ORT infection are submitted as part of an exotic disease investigation managed by Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and subjected to standardized test protocols carried out in the physical containment level 3+ laboratory at MPI's Animal Health Laboratory (AHL). All previous exotic disease investigations concerning ORT produced negative results by bacterial culture and conventional PCR. Following the recent introduction of a real-time PCR for ORT at the AHL, several tracheal wash fluids from backyard chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) were tested positive. This identification constituted the first detection of ORT in New Zealand poultry. As a result, a second premise was investigated with further samples testing positive for ORT by molecular assays. This paper describes the two exotic disease investigations associated with the first detection of ORT in New Zealand poultry and its implications.
authors.affiliation: A Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, 66 Ward Street, Wallaceville, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: B Avivet Ltd., 257 Patumahoe Road, Pukekohe 2678, New Zealand.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: A Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, 66 Ward Street, Wallaceville, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.affiliation: A Animal Health Laboratory, Ministry for Primary Industries, 66 Ward Street, Wallaceville, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haydon
authors.affiliation: C Pacificvet Limited, 3 Hickory Place, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.affiliation: D Investigation and Diagnostics Centres and Response, Ministry for Primary Industries, 66 Ward Street, Wallaceville, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rawdon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D045826:Flavobacteriaceae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009520:New Zealand; D045246:Ornithobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale; PCR; avian bacterial pathogens; biosecurity; exotic