Age and seasonal pattern of contagious agalactia in small ruminants in Ukraine

Abstract

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to determine how the spread of contagious agalactia in sheep and goats in the Odesa region depended on the age of the animals and the season.Material and MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2018, 1,964 ewes and 1,484 nanny goats of different age groups were studied by ELISA for antibodies to Mycoplasma agalactiae.ResultsThe highest incidence of contagious agalactia was registered in one-year-old animals and was 59.7‒83.0%, two-year-old ruminants showed 17.0‒40.3% prevalence, in livestock at the age of 3–4 years no serological evidence of the disease was registered and in ewes and nanny goats older than 5–6 years 1.5–3.6% were infected. The most susceptible were young animals at the age of one-month (11.6‒14.5%). The first peak of the disease was recorded in March‒April (21.0‒26.1%), in the lambing period, which coincided with the beginning of lactation and the suckling period, and the second peak occurred in June–July (28.9‒34.2%), the period of maximum lactation and of manual milking of sheep and goats.ConclusionThe results of serological investigations indicate the circulation of M. agalactiae in small ruminants in the south of Ukraine. To avoid greater dissemination of the pathogen, appropriate measures should be applied and strategies for its control need to be drawn up.

Comparison of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for diagnosis of contagious agalactia caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae

“…Alternatively, indirect diagnosis using serological strategies has been implemented for M. agalactiae in unvaccinated herds. Among serological methods, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the main option because it is an economical and simple procedure which provides a means of diagnostic screening ( 6 ). The combination of direct and indirect CA diagnosis has enabled the control of CA in different regions and the determination of the factors affecting the efficiency of that control ( 23 , 25 ).…”

Influence of natural and climatic conditions on the distribution and forms of contagious agalactia in sheep in Bessarabia, Ukraine

“…Contagious agalactia of sheep and goats does not occur globally on a predictable pattern and tends to render territories where it breaks out permanently prone to high incidences, regardless of the climatic conditions and the level of economic development of those countries ( 8 ). Contagious agalactia of ruminants is an endemic disease and losses in farms are significant.…”