Mycoplasma synoviae in a released pen-raised wild turkey.

Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) was isolated from the sinus of an adult female "wild-type" turkey found feeding with backyard chickens at a private residence in Randolph County, N.C. Clinical signs included sinusitis, dyspnea, emaciation, diarrhea, and nasal discharge. The bird was seropositive for MS and M. gallisepticum (MG) on the rapid plate agglutination test and had titers of 1:160 for MS and 1:20 for MG on the hemagglutination-inhibition test. Isolations of MS and M. gallopavonis were confirmed by the fluorescent antibody test. This case represents the first and only report of MS in a free-ranging "wild-type" turkey in the eastern United States. Behavioral and other evidence suggests that the bird was a released pen-raised turkey.