COMPARISON OF SEROLOGIC METHODS FOR THE DETECTION OF MYCOPLASMA GALLISEPTICUM (MG) ANTIBODIES IN BROILERS IN SOUTH LUZON, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Chronic respiratory disease (CRD), caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), is one of the important diseases which affects chickens and other fowls. MG antibodies were screened from field cases of CRD in 20 commercial broiler farms in South Luzon, Philippines using the hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serological results were also compared with the presence of clinical signs (RCS) and lesions (RLS) upon necropsy of submitted birds. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the correlation of RCS and RLS to the results of ELISA and HI tests (p<0.05). Among the 57 broiler chickens tested, 8 (14.03%) and 11 (19.2%) were seropositive in the ELISA and HI tests, respectively. The HI test was able to detect more positive reactors than ELISA. Sneezing and air sac lesion were the common signs observed upon necropsy. The correlation of RCS (p=0.1738) and RLS (p=0.8424) with the HI test titers were not statistically associated. The ELISA results were statistically associated with the RCS (p=0.0201) and RLS (p=0.0357). This is the first report on the use of the HI test for MG antibody detection in the Philippines which is beneficial to the poultry practitioners and farmers in monitoring MG to control CRD in the field.