Investigations into the elimination of ureaplasmas from the uro-genital tract of ewes

Abstract

Methods of treatment of ureaplasma genital infection of sheep in a mixture of naturally-infected animals and ewes experimentally infected with a vulvitis-causing strain are described. Single local applications of the antiseptic povidone-iodine in an aqueous solution, as a pessary and as a gel, caused only a transient elimination of infection in three out of the 33 ewes treated. Three consecutive daily local applications of aqueous povidone-iodine, aqueous tiamulin and oxytetracycline cream resulted in the elimination of the infection from three out of eight naturally-infected ewes; two treated with povidone-iodine and one with oxytetracycline; infection persisted in the 13 experimentally-infected ewes treated. A single intramuscular inoculation of long-acting oxytetracycline eliminated infection in 14 out of 19 ewes and eight out of eight rams; a second inoculation eliminated infection in a further two ewes.