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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198019
Title: AN UPDATE OF TURKEY RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE CENTER

Author
item Briggs, Robert
item Register, Karen
item Tabatabai, Louisa
item Tatum, Fred
item Scupham, Alexandra
item Wesley, Irene

Submitted to: Electronic Publication
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2006
Publication Date: 5/25/2006
Citation: Briggs, R.E., Register, K.B., Tabatabai, L.B., Tatum, F.M., Scupham, A.J., Wesley, I.V. 2006. An update of turkey research at the National Animal Disease Center. Poultry Science Day, May 25, 2006, Ames, Iowa. 2006 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Approximately 10% of ARS resources in turkey health and 43% of the resources for food safety in turkeys are allocated to NADC. This presentation highlights the accomplishments of the Respiratory Disease Unit including development of PCR assays to differentiate the pathogenic versus commensal Bordetella species and design of a prototype field device for the rapid on-site detection of viral and potentially bacterial respiratory pathogens. A protein antigen of Pasteurella multiocida which may cross-protect against a variety of pathogenic serotypes has been identified. Development of molecular methods to monitor the development of the microbiota of the turkey gut from day of hatch to 18-week-old adults marks a significant accomplishment in preharvest food safety. Field studies showing that transport has no effect on Salmonella prevalence in turkeys are in contrast to those previously described for hogs. However, the ability to distinguish the two major Campylobacter species has demonstrated shifts of these two species associated with transport.