Staphylococcosis of turkeys. 3. Bacterial interference as a possible means of control.

Two Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from turkeys were used as interfering agents to help control staphylococcosis. Both isolates adhered to tissues of the turkeys' respiratory tract, interfered with attachment of virulent S. aureus, produced bacteriocins bacteriocidal to S. aureus, and were avirulent for turkeys. About 200,000 turkeys in commercial flocks were exposed to aerosols of these interfering isolates between 1 and 6 weeks of age, and many became colonized with these bacteria. The aerosol-treated turkeys had lower levels of colonization with S. aureus and had a 3% higher gross survival rate than untreated control turkeys.