EXOone Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale

Description

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is a Gram-negative bacteria (family Flavobacteriaceae) that causes respiratory disease, growth retardation, decreased egg production and mortality in chickens and turkeys. This agent can causes a highly contagious disease in poultry, although the severity of clinical signs, duration of the disease and mortality has been found to be extremely variable. ORT can be a primary or secondary aetiological agent, and this depends on strain virulence, environmental factors, immune status of the flock, and the presence of other infectious agents.
Microbiological culture and serological tests are described for diagnosis of ORT. However, the use of molecular techniques, such as the real-time PCR assay, has showed increased sensitivity and specificity for the identification of this agent.