Bacterial coryza in turkeys in Texas

A motile, gram-negative, short bacillus was isolated from the tracheas of turkey poults with coryza. An Escherichia coli also was isolated from the tracheas of poults. The former bacterium possessed characteristics similar or identical to those isolated from coryza outbreaks in other states. The characteristics were similar to those described for Alcaligenes fecalis. Cultures of the turkey coryza isolate produced coryza when inoculated intranasally in 1 to 3-day-old poults. The bacterium was reisolated consistently from the tracheas of the affected poults. In one experiment, poults inoculated with the coryza bacterium and the E. coli isolate had an apparent increased incidence of air sacculitis. No viruses were isolated from the tracheas of coryza-affected poults. Blood serums were negative for precipitating and hemagglutination-inhibition antibodies to avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses, respectively. The serum neutralizing antibody titers to infectious bursal disease virus in noninoculated poults, and poults inoculated with the coryza bacterium, or E. coli or both, were undetectable or low. Serum agglutination was not a reliable method for determining infection by the coryza bacterium.