Brachyspira

Avian intestinal spirochetosis, caused by Brachyspira spp., a Gram-negative bacterium of the order Spirochaetes, is a disease that affects adult chickens and other poultry species. The illness is usually linked to decreased or delayed egg production and diarrhoea. The main pathogenic species in birds are B. intermedia, B. pilosicoli, B. alvinipulli and B. hyodysenteriae. B. intermedia is the most pathogenic species in poultry, while B. hyodysenteriae is reported less frequently. Brachyspira spp. colonise the caecum and/or rectum, causing typhlitis and diarrhoea. Tiamulin, lincomycin and oxytetracycline are effective against Brachyspira spp. Implementations of biosecurity prevent the entry and spread of Brachyspira spp. in and between flocks.