Abstract
Background: Two major bacterial poultry pathogens that cause chronic respiratory disease and infectious synovitis are Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS). To date, no nationwide MG and MS molecular detection data are available in the Philippines. This study aimed to detect MG and MS in broiler poultry flocks. This study aimed to detect the presence of MG and MS in Philippine broiler poultry flocks. Methods: From 2020 to 2023, 2,127 broiler flocks with clinical or subclinical respiratory signs were purposively sampled from 13 Philippine regions. Oropharyngeal swabs and selected tissues were screened by conventional PCR targeting the mgc2 (cytadhesin protein gene) and 16S rRNA genes of MG and MS, respectively. Positivity estimates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and differences were assessed using the chi-square test. Results: PCR amplicons yielded 302-bp (MG) and 211-bp (MS) products. Overall, MG and MS were detected in 13.31% (283/2,127) and 7.33% (156/2,127) of flocks, respectively. Higher detection levels were observed in CAR, Regions IVA, VII, and III. Regional differences in MG and MS detection were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study confirmed the molecular detection of MG and MS among clinically affected broiler poultry flocks in the Philippines. Findings reflect detection in sampled flocks and not a population-level prevalence due to purposive sampling. Given the limitations of this PCR-based design, future surveillance should consider rapid, field-adapted, and strain-discriminative approaches, including advanced AI- or machine learning-assisted LAMP assays, to improve pathogen differentiation and control.
Keywords
Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, PCR, Philippine poultry