Characterization of Mycoplasma iowae strains and improving the therapy of infection

Mycoplasma iowae is a re-emerging, economically important pathogen of turkey causing reduced hatchability, late embryo mortality and leg deformities, chondrodystrophy and skeletal lesions in poults. The detection of M. iowae is hindered by that in adult turkey the infection is unapparent and the pathogen shows high antigen variability and induces weak antibody response unsuitable for serological tests. Consequently, monitoring M. iowae infections is problematic and control of the disease is complicated also since no vaccines are available against this pathogen and M. iowae is generally more resistant to antimicrobials than other avian pathogenic mycoplasmas. The main aims of the present project are to discover and describe essential features of M. iowae and to improve the therapeutic options of M. iowae infections. In order to achieve our goals, we will

i) determine the complete whole genome sequences of the six M. iowae serotypes and develop a rapid and high resolution genotyping assay, the multi-locus variable-number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA);

ii) determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile and draft whole genome of 100 M. iowae field isolates;

iii) discover novel associations among antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes and genomic regions and identify resistance related genetic markers, and develop molecular assays for their differentiation;

iv) develop and consolidate antibiotic dosing regimen in poults against M. iowae by pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics modelling.