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Epidemiology
This pathogen has a worldwide distribution but is found at the highest density in the North Temperate Zone between the arctic circle and the Tropic of Cancer. Outbreaks have been recorded in many countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and South Africa and in are most often recorded during the summer and fall. Due to the highly contagious and transmissible nature of this bacterium, the prevalence in bird species is abundant. B. avium can remain in the environment in litter and water for as long as 6 months and has a short incubation of only 7-10 days allowing for rapid transmission.

Prevalence is highest and most well understood in domesticated turkeys, especially in the younger populations consisting of birds 1-6 weeks old, yet, turkeys of all ages are susceptible. In addition, much of the transmission is thought to relate to management practices and outbreaks are often associated with farms with confined spaces and flocks consisting of animals of varying ages. Older animals are thought to be carriers of this bacterium which is why it is recommend that turkey farmers avoid multi-age flocks. Although most common in domestic turkeys, B. avium can transmit to chickens as an opportunistic infection, and wildlife species where prevalence is still being evaluated. It has been suggested that wildlife species act mainly as a reservoir and it is unclear if B. avium acts as part of the normal flora in wild bird populations or is a causative agent of disease. Despite the fact that wild birds are commonly asymptomatic, Bordetellosis has been reported in a variety of wild birds including parrot finches, partridges, cockatiels, and ostriches, among others. In one study by Raffel et.al, in a sample of 46 Canadian Geese, 67% tested positive for B. avium using a serum agglutination test for antibodies. Although many studies have begun to look at characterizing the epidemiology of this bacterium, the understanding of prevalence in different countries and among different species of domestic and wild birds remains to be fully understood.