Occurrence: Worldwide. Species affected: Turkeys and broilers (rare). Age affected: More than 3 weeks.

Causes: Gram negative strictly aerobic bacterium- Bordatella avium. Highly contagious and spread by aerosol.

Effects: Stunting, huddling, decreased feed and water consumption, respiratory distress, sneezing, dry cough and a tenacious brown nasal discharge can occur. Loss of voice and submaxillary oedema may be seen. Turkeys may have almond-shaped eyes and mortality to 50%. Mortality is low in broilers.

Detailed causes:

Turkeys of more than 3 weeks old are susceptible to this acute to chronic disease. Although broilers can also be affected, it is rarely seen. The agent involved in the aetiology of this disease is Bordetella avium which is a gram-negative, nonfermentative, motile and strictly aerobic bacillus.

It is highly contagious and is spread by aerosol. The incubation period is 7-10 days. The organism can contaminate faeces or water for up to 6 months.

It causes Immunosuppression, which may lead to an outbreak of cholera in turkeys or poor vaccination response to NDV, E. coli or Pasteurella multocida. Coryza means head cold. In Europe, turkey rhinotracheitis is caused by a pneumovirus.

Swollen sinuses and tracheal inflammation are characteristic of this disease. Stunting, huddling, decreased consumption of food and water, respiratory distress, sneezing, dry cough and nasal discharge (tenacious brown) can occur.

Loss of voice and submaxillary oedema may be seen. Turkeys may have almond-shaped eyes and mortality to 50%. Mortality is low in broilers.

Mucous in trachea and trubinates, and the trachea is softened and distorted. Pneumonia, edema of the interstitial tissues of head and neck, air sacculitis, pericarditis and bursal atrophy may be evident.

Bacteria from the trachea can be cultured on MacConkey’s agar. Colonies are clear and pinpoint and may develop a brownish raised centre.

Microagglutination or ELISA testing will determine antibodies in unvaccinated flocks.

It simulates mycoplasmosis, avian influenza (AI), ornithosis, Newcastle disease (ND) and swollen head syndrome.

Rhinotracheitis in turkeys is characteristic for this disease.

Sanitation and biosecurity reduces the problem. Bacterin prepared from whole bacterial cells can be given to turkey-breeders at 6 weeks. Live vaccine is a temperature (cold) sensitive mutant (replicates only in upper respiratory tract) given by spray at 1-day and drinking water at 14 days.

Aerosol spray of oxytetracycline HCI (10 mm sized particles).

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