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Clinical Significance

The typical host for Bordetella avium is the turkey. In turkeys this bacteria leads to inflammation of the respiratory mucosa; clinically this can present as sneezing, altered breathing, lower growth rate, vocalization changes, clear discharge from the eyes and nose, tracheal collapse, and submandibular edema. In addition their behaviour will change such that they are less active and will search out heat sources. After about 1 week of infection upon tracheal palpation the trachea will feel softened.

B. avium has also been isolated from other wild and domesticated birds including chickens, mallards, Canada geese, cockatiels, and ostriches. It is uncertain if this bacterium causes disease in all these birds or if it is a part of their normal flora. Chickens have been shown to be affected, however, they are not as severely affected with Bordetellosis as turkeys are. Most often this disease presents as severe respiratory disease in broilers, especially when they are concurrently infected with other respiratory viruses. Cockatiels and ostriches also have been shown to develop the disease but it has not yet been studied to determine how the disease presents in these birds.

Zoonosis

B. avium is an opportunistic pathogen in humans; however, it does not often infect humans unless they are already immunocompromised. If infected this bacteria presents as respiratory disease.