Biomaterial Database

Neonatal osteomyelitis associated with Staphylococcus aureus in turkey poults. 2006

Matilde Alfonso, and H John Barnes

Poultry Health Management, Department of Population Health & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.

A case of Staphylococcus aureus infection causing osteomyelitis in young turkey poults is described. Mortality during the first week after hatching was 12.6%. Poults showed leg weakness, inflammation of all four toes, swelling of feet and hock joints, and osteomyelitis of the proximal tibiotarsus. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from exudate in the hock joints and footpads. Granulocytic infiltration and colonies of gram-positive coccoid bacteria compatible with S. aureus were found on microscopic examination of the lesions. Toe trimming after hatching is believed to have provided a portal of entry for S. aureus, which resulted in infection of the toes and spread along tendons to joints and bones of the leg. Neonatal staphylococcal osteomyelitis should be considered when recently placed turkey flocks experience increased mortality, especially if they develop severe swelling and inflammation of toes following trimming and have enlarged swollen feet, tendons, or joints.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010019	Osteomyelitis	INFLAMMATION of the bone as a result of infection. It may be caused by a variety of infectious agents, especially pyogenic (PUS - producing) BACTERIA.	Osteomyelitides
D011201	Poultry Diseases	Diseases of birds which are raised as a source of meat or eggs for human consumption and are usually found in barnyards, hatcheries, etc. The concept is differentiated from BIRD DISEASES which is for diseases of birds not considered poultry and usually found in zoos, parks, and the wild.	Disease, Poultry,Diseases, Poultry,Poultry Disease
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013203	Staphylococcal Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus STAPHYLOCOCCUS.	Infections, Staphylococcal,Staphylococcus aureus Infection,Staphylococcal Infection,Staphylococcus aureus Infections
D014422	Turkeys	Large woodland game BIRDS in the subfamily Meleagridinae, family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES. Formerly they were considered a distinct family, Melegrididae.	Meleagridinae,Meleagrididae