Disease Caused by Mycoplasma Mycoides Subspecies Mycoides Lc in Hungarian Goat Herds

Abstract

The occurrence of a goat disease caused byMycoplasma mycoidessubsp.mycoidesLC in Hungary is reported. The disease occurred in two goat herds in the spring of 1999. In one herd 25% of the 4–12 weeks old kids (10 animals) while in the other herd 33% of the 6–12 weeks old kids (20 animals) became affected. The goat kids developed polyarthritis. The most severe lesions developed in the carpal joints. All animals died after 3–8 days of disease. Four dead kids were necropsied. All of them had serofibrinous and purulent polyarthritis, and in two animals bronchopneumonia, fibrinous pleuritis and meningitis were also found. In the articular exudates the presence of mycoplasmas was detected by PCR using a general mycoplasma primer. Mycoplasmas were cultured from the joints of all animals, from the abdominal parenchymal organs of two kids and from the lungs of one animal. The cultured mycoplasmas grew in strikingly large colonies, proved to be glucose positive, arginine negative and phosphatase positive, and liquefied the coagulated serum. They survived incubation at 45 °C for more than 24 h. Based upon their biochemical properties, the results of the immunofluorescence (IF) and growth inhibition tests and the sequence analysis of the PCR product, the cultured strains were identified asM. mycoidessubsp.mycoidesLC. Animals purchased in the previous autumn had been introduced to both farms. The disease may have been introduced with asymptomatic carrier animals, as earlier no similar disease had been observed at either farm.

Infection of Two Goatherds with Mycoplasma mycoides Subsp. capri in Hungary, Evidence of a Possible Faecal Excretion

“…The gross and histopathological changes found in this study are mostly consistent with those described earlier (DaMassa et al, 1983; East et al, 1983; DaMassa et al, 1986; Bölske et al, 1989; Rodríguez et al, 1998; Bajmócy et al, 2000). Generalized thrombus formation associated with necrotic and inflammatory changes, which is attributed to activation of the complement system and the resulting generalized vascular damage (Rosendal, 1984),were seen.…”

“…It is one of the most important pathogens in the goatherds of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America (Rodríguez et al, 1995a). In some herds, Mmc causes sporadic disease among goat kids (Rosendal et al, 1979; Bajmócy et al, 2000), while elsewhere it has been associated with mass disease and mortality in kids and occasionally also in female goats (DaMassa et al, 1983; East et al, 1983; DaMassa et al, 1986; Villalba et al, 1992; Rodríguez et al, 1995a). Kids most often contract the infection during sucking and less frequently by aerogenic route or through contact with infected goats (DaMassa et al, 1986; Smith and Sherman, 1994).…”

“…In Hungary, the Mmc infection was found first time in 1999, where the kids of two goatherds were affected by polyarthritis and pneumonia (Bajmócy et al, 2000). This paper reports Mmc infection causing sporadic disease among goat kids in another two Hungarian goatherds, in one of which Mmc was detected from the intestine of affected and dead goat kids and from that of a healthy female goat.…”

Contagious agalactia by Mycoplasma agalactiae in small ruminants in Brazil: first report

“…In non milking goats other common causes of arthritis can be confused with infection by M agalactiae, including other Mycoplasma and bacterial infections, virus infections and traumatic injuries, which are common in young animals, but the high frequency of polyarthritis is suggestive of Mycoplasma infection. In cases of arthritis by M. agalactiae, the thickening of the joint capsule, the liquid aspect of the exudates, the absence of umbilical lesions or abscesses in other organs, associated with the high prevalence of polyarthritis suggest the infection by M. agalactiae (2,9), but other Mycoplasma, including M. mycoides subsp. capri can also cause high frequency of arthritis (21,25).…”

Meningitis caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri in a goat

“…These cases occurred in goat herds in Hungary, Canada, and California, where goats exhibited the more usual systemic lesions such as polyarthritis, pneumonia, and mastitis, in addition to meningitis. 2,14,18 The present paper describes a naturally occurring case of meningitis in an adult Toggenburg goat from which only Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri was recovered, and in which there was no evidence of pneumonia or other systemic lesions.A 2-year-old, 3-month-pregnant, female Toggenburg goat was submitted to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (Storrs, Connecticut) for postmortem examination. This goat was a member of a herd of 19 adults and 11 kids used for milking and show.…”