Diagnosis of Gallibacterium Anatis in Layers: First Report in Turkey

ABSTRACT Gallibacterium anatis, a member of the Pasteurellaceae family, leads to decrease in egg-production, animal welfare and increase in mortality. This study aimed to diagnose G. Anatis, which caused economic losses in laying hens by using conventional and molecular techniques. In this study, G. anatis was examined from a total of 200 dead chicken tissues (heart, liver, lung, spleen and trachea) in laying hen farms that observed a decrease in egg production with respiratory system infection. Conventional methods based on colony morphology, sugar fermentation tests and hemolytic properties and molecular conformation using 16S rRNA-23S rRNA specific primers were performed to identify G. anatis. G. anatis was isolated in 20 (10%) of the examined samples and isolates were confirmed by conventional PCR. A total of 11 (2.2%) positivity was obtained as isolates were the result of PCR performed on tissues and organs directly. As a result, the presence of G. anatis was detected for the first time in Turkey by this study. It was thought that G. anatis may have a role in egg production losses due to respiratory tract infection in poultry and this situation may be a guide for poultry clinicians and microbiologists.摘要 加氏杆菌（Gallibacterium anatis）隶属于巴氏杆菌科（Pasteurellaceae），可造成产蛋量下降、动物福利受损并升高死亡率。本研究旨在借助传统生物学与分子生物学技术，对引发蛋鸡经济损失的加氏杆菌感染开展诊断。本研究从出现产蛋量下降及呼吸系统感染症状的蛋鸡养殖场中，采集了共计200份病死鸡的组织样本（心脏、肝脏、肺脏、脾脏及气管）用于加氏杆菌检测。研究采用基于菌落形态、糖发酵试验及溶血特性的传统鉴定方法，结合使用16S rRNA-23S rRNA特异性引物的分子鉴定技术，对加氏杆菌进行识别。在所检测的样本中，共计20份（占比10%）分离得到加氏杆菌，分离株经常规PCR验证无误。直接对组织器官进行PCR检测的结果显示，共计11份（占比2.2%）样本呈阳性。本研究首次在土耳其检出加氏杆菌。研究认为，加氏杆菌可能与家禽呼吸系统感染引发的产蛋量损失存在关联，该研究结果可为家禽临床兽医与微生物学家提供参考依据。