@article {94892, title = {Backyard Chicken Flocks Pose a Disease Risk for Neotropic Birds in Costa Rica}, journal = {Avian Diseases}, volume = {52}, year = {2008}, month = {12-2008}, pages = {558 - 566}, type = {Resaerch article}, abstract = {

Pathogens of free-ranging chickens create a risk of disease for wild birds, some of which migrate to the United States, as well as potential economic losses for resource-poor farmers. Free-roaming backyard chickens are commonly kept in shade- grown coffee plantations, habitats that attract large numbers of wild birds. The husbandry and pathogen prevalence of backyard chicken flocks in San Luis, Costa Rica, were investigated. Based on serologic evidence, Newcastle disease virus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, infectious bronchitis virus, chicken anemia virus, and infectious bursal disease virus, as well as both Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae, appear to be significant diseases of this population, and thus, we consider these backyard chickens potential reservoirs for these diseases. There was no evidence of avian influenza. Interviews, clinical examinations, and microscopic examination of tissues led us to believe that poxvirus is also a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in these chickens. We found that Escherichia coli isolates were resistant against tilmicosin, tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, ticarcillin, and cephalothin, and contained genes considered responsible for conferring tetracycline resistance. Additionally, although production was not measured, we suspect that husbandry and lack of preventative medicine are directly related to the diseases reported, all of which negatively affect production.

RESUMEN. Las parvadas de aves de traspatio representan un riesgo de enfermedad para las aves tropicales en Costa Rica.
Los pato ́genos de las aves de traspatio generan un riesgo de enfermedad para las aves silvestres, algunas de las cuales migran a los Estados Unidos, generando a su vez potenciales pe ́rdidas econo ́micas para granjeros de escasos recursos. Las aves de traspatio criadas a la intemperie son comu ́nmente mantenidas en plantaciones de cafe ́ con abundante sombra, un habitat que atrae un gran nu ́mero de aves silvestres. En San Luis, Costa Rica, se investigo ́ el manejo y la prevalencia de pato ́genos en aves de traspatio. Basado en evidencia serolo ́gica, los virus de la enfermedad de Newcastle, laringotraqueitis infecciosa, bronquitis infecciosa, anemia infecciosa aviar y enfermedad infecciosa de la bolsa, as ́{\i} como el Mycoplasma gallisepticum y el Mycoplasma synoviae, son agentes causantes de enfermedades en esta poblacio ́n y en consecuencia se consideran a estas aves de traspatio como reservorios potenciales de estas enfermedades. No se encontro ́ evidencia de influenza aviar. Entrevistas, exa ́menes cl ́{\i}nicos y evaluaciones microsco ́picas de tejidos nos llevan a creer que el virus de la viruela aviar es tambie ́n una causa significativa de morbilidad y mortalidad en estas aves. Se demostro ́ que los aislamientos de Escherichia coli eran resistentes a la tilmicosina, tetraciclina, ampicilina, amoxiciclina y a ́cido clavula ́nico, ticarciclina, cefalocina y conten ́{\i}an genes considerados responsables de conferir la resistencia a la tetraciciclina. Adicionalmente, aunque no se midio ́ la produccio ́n, se sospecha que las pra ́cticas de manejo y la falta de medicina preventiva esta ́n directamente relacionadas con las enfermedades reportadas, todas capaces de afectar negativamente la produccio ́n.

}, keywords = {antimicrobial resistance, backyard chickens, Costa Rica, free-ranging, husbandry, pathogens, wild birds}, issn = {0005-2086}, doi = {10.1637/8298-032808-Reg.1}, url = {http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1637/8298-032808-Reg.1}, author = {Sonia M. Hernandez-Divers and Pedro Villegas and Carlos Jimenez and Stephen J. Hernandez-Divers and Maricarmen Garcia and Sylva M. Riblet and Ron Carroll and O{\textquoteright}Connor,Barry M. and Julie L. Webb and Michael J. Yabsley and Susan M. Williams and Susan Sanchez} }