Respiratory disease (rhinotracheitis) of turkeys in Brittany, France. III. Interaction of multiple infecting agents.

A candidate breeder flock of turkeys was studied during and after an outbreak of rhinotracheitis. Laboratory studies revealed the presence of three pathogens during the acute phase of the disease. These agents were hemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV), paramyxovirus type 2 (PMV2), and chlamydia. Twenty-five turkeys in the flock were individually identified, and blood samples from these birds were collected for serological studies each week for 21 weeks. The serological results revealed high titers for HEV and chlamydia but very low titers for PMV2.