Prevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in the Ten licensed Hatcheries in Gaza strip, Palestine

Abstract

Avian mycoplasmas are pathogens of different avian species, especially poultry. MG is the most important mycoplasma. Vertical transmission can occur in eggs laid by naturally infected hens or horizontally within the hatcheries resulting in rapid spread of the disease throughout the flock. It is common in many parts of the world as the primary agent of chronic respiratory disease and sinusitis causing important economic losses in the poultry industry and increase the risk to the overall health of human. The study was conducted in ten licensed local hatcheries, which hatch more than 16 million of one old day chicks yearly for more than 1200 poultry breeding farms inGazastrip governorates. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of MG infection in representative samples of 390 non-incubated imported fertilized eggs collected systematically randomly in August 2010 fromGazastrip hatcheries. In addition, the diagnostic value of rapid slide agglutination (RSA) test and real time polymerase chain reaction (real time PCR) technique was compared and the current control procedure was investigated. The results showed that the prevalence of MG specific antibodies by using RSA test was (36.6%) while the prevalence of MG-DNA by using real time PCR technique was (6.2%). In addition, the imported eggs, which were used for hatching process, were not handled in the best-case specifications and quality control measures were limited or absent. A significant correlation between the eggs weight and the prevalence of MG specific antibodies and between the eggs weight and the prevalence of MG-DNA were found. The poultry industry inGazastrip is facing the infection of MG in the imported fertilized eggs, and the visual observation and certification assessment are not enough for prevention of MG transmission. The free MG egg sources, bio-safety measures, knowledge and protection programs could be reduce the rate of infection.