Staphylococcus aureus is a highly versatile pathogen in a large number of domestic animals, including avian species. To gain deeper insight into the epidemiology and diversity of S. aureus associated with articular disease in domestic turkeys, isolates were collected from infected foot joints of turkeys in Brittany (France). A total of 34 isolates were recovered and characterized by means of antimicrobial resistance, staphylococcal protein A typing, macrorestriction pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and micro-array analysis. Thirty isolates were identified as clonal complex (CC) 398 and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), one was identified as a methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) CC398 isolate, and the remaining were also MSSA and belonged to CC5, CC101, and CC121. Eleven different antimicrobial resistance patterns were detected, with most isolates resistant to penicillin and tetracycline. Based on all typing methods used, the 34 isolates could be divided into 22 different strains. Results on selected isolates, genotyped using microarrays, indicated a high homogeneity among pathogenic MSSA isolates from turkeys. Moreover, all isolates, except the unique MRSA isolate, carried specific φAvβ prophage avian-niche-specific genes, demonstrating the versatility of S. aureus to adapt to the specific ecological poultry niche.

A genital and potentially fatal form of Pasteurella multocida infection was reported on two turkey-breeding farms on which birds were vaccinated against Pasteurella multocida. Both outbreaks were linked to the use of semen from young vaccinated toms with a history of respiratory pasteurellosis followed by treatment during rearing. Typing by agar gel immunodiffusion and rapid slide agglutination of P. multocida isolated from cloacal swabs was completed by multilocus sequence typing. Restriction enzyme analysis showed that that the isolates were clonal. They belonged to sequence type (ST) 30, described in chickens, cats, and ducks. This strain differed in sequence type from the ones used in the vaccine (ST8, ST60, ST53, and ST235), which might have limited its effectiveness. No contamination of the semen (n = 30) was found, suggesting fecal contamination during semen collection.

Identification of a new pathogen for turkey breeders : Staphyloccus aureus CC398, causing arthritis. Confronted in breeder turkey farms with arthritis, and important consequences in terms of less of earnings and antibiotic treatments, the authors reported the causal agent, isolated from the articular lesions, to Staphylococcus aureus strains of the complex clonal CC398. Further to a thorough molecular study of these strains, the authors put in perspective these results with the recent publications concerning the clonal complex CC398 in poultry farms. A better knowledge of its epidemiology and its pathogenesis will allow the veterinarian practitioner a preventive approach of the disease. Therapeutic approaches are estimated, by taking into account the antimicrobial resistances and the possible impact on public health, with problems caused by MRSA in human medicine.

Des cas cliniques de tendinite sont apparus sporadiquement, puis plus régulièrement, dans des élevages de poulets de chair dans différentes régions de France depuis 2010. Ces tendinites ont été identifiées comme dues à une réovirose en dépit de la vaccination des poules parentales avec des vaccins contenant différentes valences de réovirus précédemment décrits comme présents sur le terrain ; en outre une transmission horizontale notamment lors de l'éclosion a été observée. Les études virologiques conduites dans deux laboratoires aboutissent à l'identification d'un nouveau réovirus jusqu'à présent non décrit en Europe. Outre des différences au plan génétique entre ce nouveau virus et les souches vaccinales utilisées sur le terrain, des tests de séroneutralisation croisée ont montré des différences antigéniques, ce qui peut expliquer l'inefficacité des vaccins observée sur le terrain. Pour prévenir la multiplication de ces virus il apparait donc utile de réactualiser la composition des vaccins de manière à protéger les poules reproductrices et leur descendance. Mots-Clés : réovirus, tendinites, poulets de chair.

Integrating sphere (IS) based uniform sources are a primary tool for ground based calibration, characterization and testing of flight radiometric equipment. The idea of a Lambertian field of energy is a very useful tool in radiometric testing, but this concept is being checked in many ways by newly lowered uncertainty goals. At an uncertainty goal of 2% one needs to assess carefully uniformity in addition to calibration uncertainties, as even sources with a 0.5% uniformity are now substantial proportions of uncertainty budgets. The paper explores integrating sphere design options for achieving 99.5% and better uniformity of exit port radiance and spectral irradiance created by an integrating sphere. Uniformity in broad spectrum and spectral bands are explored. We discuss mapping techniques and results as a function of observed uniformity as well as laboratory testing results customized to match with customer's instrumentation field of view. We will also discuss recommendations with basic commercial instrumentation, we have used to validate, inspect, and improve correlation of uniformity measurements with the intended application.