Bordetella avium is an important respiratory tract pathogen of turkeys. In common with other pathogenic bordetellae, B avium manifests a tissue tropism for cilia of the respiratory tract epithelium. To determine the molecular characteristics of the host cell receptors for B avium, we used hemagglutination and in vivo adherence assays. Carbohydrates, mucus, sialic acid-specific lectin, and other glycoconjugates were evaluated for their ability to competitively inhibit binding of B avium to host cells. The gangliosides, GD(1a) and GT(1b), completely inhibited hemagglutination, whereas N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) partially inhibited hemagglutination. Adherence to turkey tracheal mucosa in vivo was significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited by GD(1a) and GT(1b) gangliosides, N-acetylneuraminic acid, bovine sub-maxillary mucin, and horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) lectin. Treatment of the tracheal mucosa with neuraminidase also inhibited adherence of B avium. We conclude that N-acetylneuraminic acid and the gangliosides, GD(1a) and GT(1b) may be important components of the tracheal mucosa receptor for B avium in turkeys.

The prevalence of mycoplasmal and ureaplasmal recovery from tracheobronchial lavage specimens and the prevalence of mycoplasmal recovery from pharyngeal swab specimens from dogs with (n = 38) or without (n = 26) pulmonary disease were determined. Similar mycoplasmal recovery rates were found for tracheobronchial lavage specimens from dogs > 1 year old with (21%) or without (25%) pulmonary disease. Prevalence of mycoplasmal recovery from tracheobronchial lavages was significantly associated with pulmonary disease among dogs < 1 year old (P = 0.04), and with dogs that had concurrent Bordetella (P = 0.006) and Streptococcus (P = 0.05) isolations. Among dogs with pulmonary disease, mycoplasmas were significantly (P = 0.02) more prevalent in dogs with septic inflammation than in dogs with nonseptic inflammation of the tracheobronchial tree. Ureaplasmas were only isolated from a tracheobronchial lavage specimen of 1 dog with pulmonary disease and from none of the dogs without pulmonary disease. Most dogs with (84%) and all dogs without pulmonary disease had mycoplasmas isolated from the pharynx. Seemingly, mycoplasmas are part of the normal pharyngeal flora of most dogs and normal inhabitants of the lower airway in about a fifth to a fourth of the canine population greater than or equal to 1 year old. Dogs < 1 year old with pulmonary disease and dogs with concurrent Bordetella or tracheobronchial streptococcal isolations may be more susceptible to mycoplasmal colonization of the lower airways. Seemingly, ureaplasmas are rarely associated with pulmonary disease, and are not normal inhabitants of the trachea and bronchi of dogs.