Mycoplasma testing

[AlleysChicks]

Long story short I bought birds from out of state that showed respiratory symptoms after they were here a few days. I scheduled a vet appointment 3 weeks ago for testing because the vet was on vacation. Anyway they had never got back to me for information about the testing and pricing because they said they had to call the lab first to see if they can even do the test. Their hours end before I get off work.

SO the vet is not sure which of the 2 tests to do and the lab microbiologist won’t be back until Tuesday.

So mycoplasma plate agglutination or hemagglutination test? Which is better for testing for mycoplasma?

I’ve tried calling npip and they had no clue where to send me but recommended I called The Department of Agriculture. I did, and they were rude and said I needed to tell the vet to call and that I’d probably not understand what was being said.

So any help is appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

That sounds pretty rude that the Ohio DOA could’t be a little more helpful. Mycoplasma is not an easy organism to test for. There can be many false negative tests. My good friend is the director of microbiology at a nearby hospital, and he says that they used to do the Elisa testing, but they now send off specimens for DNA testing.

I wish more poultry vets would chime in on this subject. Some states are more helpful to bbackyard chicken owners. I have never dealt with OhioDOA since I have assumed they are more interested in commercial chicken an

A better way to get results might be to sacrifice your sickest bird, and send it in to the state poultry vet for a necropsy.

 

[AlleysChicks]

That sounds pretty rude that the Ohio DOA could’t be a little more helpful. Mycoplasma is not an easy organism to test for. There can be many false negative tests. My good friend is the director of microbiology at a nearby hospital, and he says that they used to do the Elisa testing, but they now send off specimens for DNA testing.

I wish more poultry vets would chime in on this subject. Some states are more helpful to bbackyard chicken owners. I have never dealt with OhioDOA since I have assumed they are more interested in commercial chicken an

A better way to get results might be to sacrifice your sickest bird, and send it in to the state poultry vet for a necropsy.

The vet that I have the appointment with just said about the plate and HI test. She didn’t know anything beyond that.

I was disappointed in the response I got from both Npip and DOA. Both acted like I was beneath them. They could at least recommend some help.

That’s the thing. None of my birds are sick right now. Sneezing once in awhile but nothing worrisome. They were sick for about 5 days but cleared right up. I’m just tired of them being in the garage.

I’m not even sure how to send a bird in. I live over 3hrs from renoldsburg.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you are not seeing any signs of illness now, I wouldn’t worry much. Dusty feed or conditions can cause sneezing, and extreme cold temps can affect the way they act. Symptoms to look for are watery/foamy eye, nasal drainage, coughing or frequent sneezing, gasping, wheezing, or swelling around an eye or the face.

 

[AlleysChicks]

If you are not seeing any signs of illness now, I wouldn’t worry much. Dusty feed or conditions can cause sneezing, and extreme cold temps can affect the way they act. Symptoms to look for are watery/foamy eye, nasal drainage, coughing or frequent sneezing, gasping, wheezing, or swelling around an eye or the face.

Yes they got those symptoms 2 days after I brought them home but it only lasted 5 days. Since then they’ve only been sneezing now and then.

They were on straw bedding until those symptoms showed up. Then I changed to pine shavings. Could straw cause all those symptoms?

 

[Eggcessive]

Straw can harbor mold and dust, so maybe that was the problem. Hopefully, they will be okay. Keep in mind that many diseases, such as MG are very common in backyard flocks, and can be carried in by wild birds. Some diseases can be dormant and show up with any stress, such as moves, molting, or severe weather.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Thank you! I’m hoping that was it. I’ve had them going on 3 months and haven’t seen any other symptom outbreaks.