A case of unilateral periorbital cellulitis and mandibular osteomyelitis in a turkey flock

A farm of meat turkeys was affected by a condition, clinically characterized by unilateral inflammation of the orbital region and progressive crossing of the beak, observed in three successive flocks in 2010. While no toxic, genetic, technical, or diet causes could be found, pathologic and bacteriologic analyses were conducted to investigate the case. Pathologic analyses of the heads of affected birds showed blepharitis and exudative sinusitis as well as severe chronic osteomyelitis of all skull bones and mandibula. Staphylococcus aureus was consistently isolated from these lesions. It is supposed that the severe bacterial osteomyelitis induced deviation of some bones, thereby leading to deviation of the beak. Further investigations remain to be carried out to explain these successive outbreaks of staphylococcal osteomyelitis in skull bones.