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In recent years, there have been significant advances in genetics, management, and facilities in producing broiler turkeys. This, together with progress in vaccine prophylaxis and diagnostic techniques, has allowed a decrease in respiratory pathologies in the field. Still, even so, we should not underestimate the economic consequences of worsening production rates and slaughterhouse seizures.
Respiratory infections can affect turkeys throughout their production cycle, although it is true that depending on age, there is more susceptibility to specific pathogens than others.
Pathogens associated with clinical symptoms can be viruses, bacteria, and fungus. In addition, multifactorial respiratory complications are frequent and aggravated by poor management and biosecurity conditions.
This article highlights the most frequent respiratory infections in field pathology.
Table 1. Most frequent respiratory infections in field pathology in turkeys.
Table 2. Most characteristic clinical symptoms of respiratory infections.
The main upper respiratory tract diseases in turkeys are Infectious Rhinotracheitis of Turkey and Bordetellosis
TRT OR TURKEY RHINOTRACHEITIS VIRUS
The TRT virus is a member of the Paramyxoviridae family of the Metapneumovirus genus.
With an incubation period of 3 to 7 days.
It causes an acute infection of the upper respiratory tract with symptoms of cough, nasal and ocular discharge, and infraorbital sinusitis.
Photo 1. Infraorbital sinusitis.
In a study in early 2021, 13 TRT outbreaks were monitored in flocks between 4-12 weeks of age.
In those outbreaks, mortalities ranged from 8% to 60%
The highest mortalities were due to bacterial complications derived from management failures.
In the reamining of the outbreaks, it was concluded that the high mortality was due to deficient immunity from errors in the selection of vaccines and failures in the vaccination procedure.
The importance of a good vaccination plan relies more in its correct application than in the number of vaccines applied during the life cycle.
Photos 2 and 3. Nasal discharge and infraorbital sinusitis.
BORDETELLA AVIUM
It is a gram-negative bacterium belonging to the Alcaligenaceae family, genus Bordetella. It is the cause of Bordetellosis, or the formerly known turkey coryza.
This is another infection of the upper respiratory tract whose most characteristic symptoms are submandibular edema, tracheal collapse due to distort...
