Additional data on Mycoplasma disease of goslings

Abstract

Epidemiological, pathomorphological, histological and microbiological studies on 272 gosling from 51 flocks showed that disease occurred generally at 3 to 4 weeks of age with morbidity of 15 to 25% and mortality of 3 to 8%. It was characterized by respiratory and nervous symptoms accompanied by serous-fibrinous inflammation of the mucosal membrane of the respiratory tract, pericardium and cerebral membranes. Mycoplasmas of 1220 type were isolated from trachea and airsac walls of 50% of the samples tested, but no adeno or reoviruses could be detected in homogenates of trachea and airsac wall, and no serological response indicative of Derzsy's disease could be demonstrated. E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium and Sir. pyogenes were occasionally cultured from the heart and liver of goslings. Cloacal and oviduct swabs and phallus lympha samples from five parent goose flocks also frequently revealed 1220 type mycoplasmas.