Ocurrence and risk factors associated with Mycoplasma agalactiae infection in dairy goat herds of Paraíba State, Brazil

Abstract

Mycoplasmosis is a disease that may cause severe economical losses in goat and sheep herds, and it is associated with mastitis, polyarthritis, agalactia, conjunctivitis, pneumonia and reproductive failure. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in milk samples and investigate the main risk factors associated with infection in goats from farms of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. For Mycoplasma agalactiae diagnosis, 251 milk samples were submitted to DNA extraction using a commercially available kit, following the manufacturer’s instructions and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed. In addition, questionnaires were applied to identify the main risk factors associated with contagious agalactia. Out of the two hundred fifty-one samples analyzed, 50 (19.9%, I.C. 15.1-25.4%) were PCR positive for M. agalactiae. In the risk factors analysis, some associations were observed for the following variables: size of the herd (P<0.001, OR=7.1, I.C. 2.4-20.6), replacement of farm animals (P<0.001, OR=4.7, I.C. 1.8-12.2) and participation of animals in fairs and exhibitions (P=0.029, OR=2.0, I.C.1.0-3.9). The results allowed confirming the occurrence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in milk samples of goats from Paraíba. Therefore, it is strictly necessary to monitor dairy goat flocks and to raise the awareness of farmers about the economic importance of the disease, since it causes severe economic losses for producers of the state. Identification of risk factors is essential for adoption of control measures and for the correction of the management factors in farms where there are animals with positive diagnosis, avoiding, so, pathogen dissemination.

<p>Contagious Agalactia In Sheep And Goats: Current Perspectives</p>

“…Since the early works, studies monitoring CA clinical features in endemic areas have been scarce 48. Prevalence studies are often conducted without taking into account whether there is or not some clinical aspects associated with isolation of mycoplasmas, see for instance,46,49–52 while case reports are infrequent and often limited to narrow areas 43,53–55. The main trend is that the classical overall picture of clinical CA has changed little, outside a few severe respiratory cases of Mmc infection in goats, initially suspected as contagious caprine pleuropneumonia 56–59…”

Predominant Single Stable VpmaV Expression in Strain GM139 and Major Differences with Mycoplasma agalactiae Type Strain PG2

“…In the United States, M. agalactiae is associated with mastitis and arthritis in goats [3], and only sporadic cases of its isolation were Animals 2022, 12, 265 2 of 10 reported in the recent years [4]. In South America, this pathogen has been identified in goat herds causing mastitis, polyarthritis, conjunctivitis, fever, anorexia, high-morbidity and mortality [5][6][7][8][9][10]. It has been isolated from milk [6][7][8][9]11], semen [11], and nasal swabs [10].…”

“…In South America, this pathogen has been identified in goat herds causing mastitis, polyarthritis, conjunctivitis, fever, anorexia, high-morbidity and mortality [5][6][7][8][9][10]. It has been isolated from milk [6][7][8][9]11], semen [11], and nasal swabs [10]. Congenital infections in goats were also described [12].…”

Risk factors associated with intramammary colonization with Mollicutes in dairy cattle from Southeast Brazil

“…when compared to closed herds, due to high cow turnover rate and the greater probability of acquiring an infected animal (AL-MOMANI et al, 2008;PINHO et al, 2013). The exposure of naive cattle to Mollicutes as a result of entrance of symptomatic or asymptomatic animals may explain the greater presence of mycoplasmal mastitis in countries with more cattle movement (FOX, 2012;MATOS et al, 2019). In this sense, purchased cattle may be one of the major pathways of the agent incursion, which is associated to failures in biosafety, such as poor stringent separation or quarantine protocols (MURAI & HIGUCHI, 2019).…”