This document summarizes chronic respiratory disease (CRD), also known as avian respiratory mycoplasmosis, in poultry. It is caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma gallisepticum. CRD commonly affects young broiler chickens and turkeys aged 4 to 10 weeks under poor management conditions. Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, and respiratory distress. Diagnosis can be confirmed via postmortem examination showing airsac lesions and a rapid plate agglutination test on blood. Prevention involves killing M. gallisepticum in hatching eggs by heating them for 2-3 hours then dipping in antibiotic solutions of tylosin, erythromycin, or gentamycin to expand and

1. CRD (Solunum
Mycoplasmosis)
CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE (Avian Respiratory Mycoplasmosis)
Etiology
This is very common desease occuring in almost any flock especially under
bad management. the casual organisms are mycoplasma gallisepticum.
the organisms may be isolated as round colonies with a central nipple, as a
dicribed in the section of laboratory methods, the organisms grow at pH
7.8 and at 37-38C in a medium containing 10-14% porcine serum, which
should be heat in activated. phenol red and dextrose in the medium
indicate growth by change of colour of medium from red to orange in 5 to
10 days, 2, 3, 5, tetrazolium chloride also indicates growth bye change in
colour.
Host
The disease commonly affect 4 to 10 week old bird especially the broiler
and turkey. It may occasionally affect older birds as a complicated disease
caused by another bacteria Escherichia coli and sometimes respiratory
viruses.
Symptoms

2. The disease start with sneezing, coughing, respiratory distres or gargling
sound during respiration. Unlike other respiratory disease. it spreads
relatively slowly to other bird. Eyes may show frothy exudate and
conjunctivitis. Some time, when very chronic, the symptoms may hardly be
seen. they may also be reduction in egg production to as much as 50%,
7-14 days post infection.
Diagnosis
1. The lession of air sacs at postmortem examinaton are very
important.
2. When the symptoms and postmortem examination indicate
suspicion of CRD, then do rapid plate agglutination test bellow.
many bird should be examined in a suspected flock
For this test, coloured antigen can be prepared or obtained, in small vials.
For this test about 0.1 ml (one big drop) of coloured antigen is placed on
clean glass slide and mixed with one loopful (bacteriological loop) of blood
of a live. diseased bird (blood is taken from wing vein) of blue colour
develop within 3 minute after mixing. the test in considered positive. if the
temperature is cold, then fine clump develop.
Prevention
1. If M.gallisepticum are killed in hatching egg then the flock can be
the maintained free from the disease, this is because one of

3. about 50 eggs laid by an infected hen contains thes organisms an
after hatching the infected hatched chicks spread infection to
others.
2. Killing M.gallisepticum in hatching eggs eggs are heated for 2-3
hours by keeping them in egg incubator, after this, the eggs are
dipped in a watery solution of 04 to 01 per cent tylosin tarterate or
erythromicyn or gentamycin, the temperature of which should be
2 to 5 degree celcius, eggs are dipped in the solution for 10 to 30
minutes. this methode causes expansion of egg contents by
heating to 37 to 38 degree. (incubator temperature) and dipping in
cold antibiotic solution causes shrinkage and entry of solution.
sufficient to kill the organisms.