Mycoplasma gallisepticum: Current and Developing Means to Control the Avian Pathogen

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a persistent, highly transmissible chicken and turkey pathogen. Infections of the organism can yield significant losses in performance and associated economics to all sectors of the poultry industry. In this paper, potential and realized effects of MG on the poultry industry are discussed along with currently available and developing control methods. Available methods of MG control largely include stringent biosecurity and biosurveillance practices within the turkey and broiler sectors of the poultry industry and live attenuated MG vaccine strains that are approved for use only within the commercial egg layer industry. Although largely effective, MG breaks within these industries still occur, demonstrating that further means of control are required. Alternative means for consideration include bacterins and subunit vaccines, although their applicability may be limited by associated vaccination protocols. Further means under consideration include novel live attenuated MG strains and recombinant bacterial and viral species. Optimally, control methods would be applicable to all poultry and be safe, cost effective, and efficacious. Current research regarding novel MG vaccines is addressed herein.