Mycoplasma Otitis in California Calves

Abstract

A retrospective study of Mycoplasma otitis in California calves submitted for necropsy between 1993 and 2002 was conducted to characterize the demographic features of the disease and the pathologic findings associated with infection. Sixty-one confirmed cases of Mycoplasma otitis were identified among 20,525 necropsied cattle. All affected animals were calves, ranging in age from 2 weeks to 4 months and with a median age of 1.5 months. Ninety-two percent of the cases were dairy breeds. A higher percent of necropsied calves with Mycoplasma otitis were males (0.45%) than females (0.23%). The proportion of cases that had Mycoplasma otitis increased from 1993 to 2002, and there was a significant (P < 0.05) seasonal distribution, with the highest proportion in the spring and the lowest in the summer months. Infections involved both the middle and inner ear and were characterized by a suppurative inflammatory response with extensive bony involvement. Three species of Mycoplasma were isolated from the ears: M. bovis, M. bovirhinis, and M. alkalescens. Concurrent pneumonia occurred in 47 cases (77%), and Mycoplasma was isolated from the lungs of 30 of those cases. The increasing proportion of Mycoplasma otitis cases in the past 10 years emphasizes the importance of identifying risk factors that could be modified to lower the incidence of this disease in calves.

Mycoplasma infections in dairy cattle farms in Turkey

“…Other researchers reported that different species of Mycoplasma can be isolated simultaneously from infections of the same or different systems (17,24). Similarly, in our study, M. bovigenitalium was isolated from the metritic uterus, and M. bovis was isolated from a mastitic milk sample from the same animal (n = 4).…”

“…Mastitis, arthritis, cattle pneumonia, and reproductive problems usually coexist in farms with a history of (17,19), who reported a significant relationship between pneumonia and arthritis both caused by mycoplasmas. Other researchers reported that different species of Mycoplasma can be isolated simultaneously from infections of the same or different systems (17,24).…”

Facial paralysis and vestibular syndrome in feedlot cattle in Argentina

“…More recently, Mycoplasma sp. have been identified in dairy calves with otitis media and vestibular signs, on dairy farms with a high incidence of mastitis and respiratory disease (Maeda et al 2003, Francoz et al 2004, Lamm et al 2004, Foster et al 2009). In this study, IHC for Mycoplasma spp.…”

“…Traumatisms and otitis media in horses (Firth 1977), and a granulomatous encephalitis of possible viral etiology in goats (Cork et al 1974) may cause clinical signs of facial paralysis and vestibular disease. In cattle, meningoencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes (Campero et al 2002), intoxication by Prosopis juliflora (Tabosa et al 2006) and P. caldenia (Odriozola, unpublished data), otitis media, and neoplasias such as meningiomas and acoustic neuromas, may also cause vestibular signs and facial paralysis (Maenhout et al 1984, George 1996, Walz et al 1997, Radostits et al 1999a, Tokarnia et al 2000, Maeda et al 2003, Duarte & Hamdan 2004, Lamm et al 2004). Other authors reported sporadic cases of facial paralysis associated with space occupying lesions of the cranial nerves in calves similar to those described in this study (Maenhout et al 1984, Van der Lugt, 1994.…”

Mycoplasmes et mycoplasmoses bovines : actualités

“…Chez ces derniers, la présence de M. bovis se manifeste le plus souvent par un syndrome pneu-monie-arthrite avec des polyarthrites invalidantes. M. bovis est aussi fréquemment incriminé dans des otites en Amérique du Nord, au Canada et au Japon (Francoz et al 2004 ;Lamm et al 2004). En revanche, son pouvoir pathogène réel sur l'appareil génital reste encore difficile à évaluer lors d'infections naturelles, bien que des métrites, des salpingites et des avortements aient pu être reproduits expérimentalement (Nicholas & Ayling, 2003).…”