Characteristics of Actinomyces pyogenes involved in lameness of male turkeys in north-central United States.

A new condition of clinical lameness in 20 male turkey flocks of North-Central United States, associated with isolation of gram-positive rod bacteria from lesions of osteomyelitis, is characterized. The characterization confirmed the randomly selected isolates as Actinomyces pyogenes based on macroscopic and microscopic observations and 17 biochemical tests. The disease was reproduced within 3 weeks in all male turkeys, following an intravenous challenge at 15 weeks of age. The agar gel precipitin test and immunoblotting confirmed the antigenic similarity of the isolates recovered from the osteomyelitis lesions of lame birds.