Comparison of Mycoplasma Prevalence and Protection Rate of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza between Traditional Cage and Animal Welfare Systems

In recent years, consumers have recognized the issue of and expressed concern over farm animal welfare. Therefore, worldwide, chicken farms are transitioning from traditional caged breeding systems to welfare-oriented breeding systems. In this study, we further analyzed and compared the prevalence and protection rate of various diseases by challenging chickens under conventional and welfare-oriented breeding conditions with low pathogenic avian influenza. Ten chickens were randomly selected from each farm (conventional and welfare) from which Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) were identified and isolated. Additionally, low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) were challenged to broilers from each farm and samples were collected from these chickens using oral and cloacal swabs to investigate viral shedding and titer. The results showed that Mycoplasma infection did not significantly differ between breeding systems. Initially, LPAI viral shedding and titer significantly differed between breeding systems post-challenge, but as the experiment progressed, there was ultimately no significant difference. (