An epizootiological study of avian mycoplasmas in southern Spain

An epizootiological study was carried out by investigation of 562 birds for mycoplasmas. The birds belonged to 18 different domestic and wild avian species of the following orders: Galliformes, Anseriformes, Gruiformes, Passeriformes, Columbiformes, Falconiformes, Psittasiformes and Trogoniformes. Eighty nine (15%) of the trachea and oropharynx samples examined were mycoplasma positive and 108 mycoplasma isolates were obtained and identified by the growth inhibition test, using rabbit antisera against fifteen avian mycoplasma species. The species most frequently detected were Mycoplasma gallinarum (27.7%), M. gallinaceum (17.5%), M. iners (14.8%), M. pullorum (7.4%), M. columbinum (7.4%), M. anatis (6.4%), M. synoviae (4.6%) and M. gallisepticum (3.7%). Four strains isolated from griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) could not be identified with antisera against the 15 described avian mycoplasma species.