ABSTRACT
Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is a Gram-negative bacillus that causes respiratory disease in birds, and directly affects the poultry industry. The mechanisms behind these infections are not completely known. Currently, its capacity to form biofilms on inert surfaces has been reported; however, the conditions for biofilm development have not been described yet. The present work was aimed at identifying the conditions that enhance in vitro biofilm formation and development by ORT. For this, serovars A-E were analysed to assess their ability to induce biofilm development on 96-well flat-bottom polystyrene microtitre plates under diverse conditions: temperature, incubation time, and CO2 concentration. The results obtained showed not only that all serovars have the ability to produce in vitro biofilms, but also that the optimal conditions for biofilm density were 40°C after 72â h at an elevated CO2 concentration. In conclusion, ORT biofilm formation depends on the environmental conditions and may contribute to the persistence of this microorganism.
