Mycoplasma gallisepticum Detection in Bangladesh Table Egg Laying Chicken Flocks

There is limited information on strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg) circulating in poultry flocks in Bangladesh. To address this, in a preliminary study, 14 table egg laying chicken flocks which presented with respiratory clinical signs were sampled (oropharyngeal swabs) for detection of the most common and economically important pathogens. DNA and RNA were extracted from the swabs, and subjected to PCR, sequencing and gene analysis. All 14 flocks sampled during the study were positive for Mg, with mgc2, vlhA 3.04a, vlhA 3.05 and mg03659 analyses demonstrating clusters of non-vaccine Mg strains circulating within table egg laying flocks in Bangladesh. The strains showed 93.88 to 97.85% identity to isolates of the neighbouring country, India. Testing by PCR, the same samples were negative for Newcastle Disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, avian metapneumovirus, avian influenza H9N2 and Mycoplasma synoviae. (C) 2021 PVJ. All rights reserved