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The primary objective is to develop and validate rapid diagnostic procedures to differentiate and detect three respiratory diseases; infectious bronchitis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection, and infectious laryngotracheitis, which are all list B infections for OIE. Flocks partially immune to the avian influenza and Newcastle disease and/or avian species relatively resistant to infection may show clinical respiratory signs with relatively low mortality which the list B respiratory diseases may mimic. Additionally, these infections could also be targets of bioterrorism on their own; laryngotracheitis because of international trade barriers, and Mycoplasma gallisepticum because it is egg transmitted and subject to trade restrictions. Additional studies for the development and improvement of diagnostic tests for avian influenza will also be performed.
Approach: The strategy is to develop rapid diagnostic methods for infectious bronchitis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection, and infectious laryngotracheitis using a common real time PCR procedure and common equipment. This will allow rapid analysis of clinical specimens from a single sample, a single DNA nucleic acid preparation procedure, on a single PCR machine for all of the above infections. Primers and probes will be developed to identify all isolates of the agent followed by development of additional primers and probes that will subtype the three agents. Validation of the tests with samples from experimental and field studies.