Contagious Agalactia In Goats Research Articles

Mechanisms involved in quinolone resistance in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri

Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri is a causative agent of contagious agalactia in goats. In this study, M. mycoides subsp. capri mutants were selected for resistance to fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) by serial passes in broth with increasing concentrations of antibiotic. Mutations conferring cross-resistance to the three fluoroquinolones were found in the quinolone resistance determining regions of the four genes encoding DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. Different mutations in the DNA gyrase GyrA subunit suggest a different mechanism of inhibition between norfloxacin and the other tested fluoroquinolones. The presence of an adenosine triphosphate-dependent efflux system was suggested through the use of the inhibitor orthovanadate.

Immunoproteomic characterisation of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri by mass spectrometry analysis of two-dimensional electrophoresis spots and western blot.

Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri is one of the causative agents of contagious agalactia in goats. The disease is characterised by mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis, keratitis and in acute cases septicaemia. No vaccine is currently available that has been demonstrated to prevent disease. This study used two-dimensional electrophoresis to separate proteins from whole-cell preparations and tandem mass spectrometry to identify them. In total, 145 spots were successfully identified corresponding to 74 protein identities. Twenty of these proteins were found to be immunogenic by western blot analysis using a pooled serum sample from experimentally infected goats. Six proteins were found to have a less than 95% amino acid similarity to a closely related Mycoplasma species showing that they warrant further evaluation in development of diagnostic tests. These proteins were a dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, phosphoglycerate kinase, pyrimidine-nucleoside phosphorylase, 30S ribosomal protein S6, ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase and D-lactate dehydrogenase.

Development of a Gold Nanoparticle Based Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid Diagnosis of Contagious Agalactia in Goats

Development of a Gold Nanoparticle Based Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid Diagnosis of Contagious Agalactia in Goats

Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma putrefaciens Strain 9231, One of the Agents of Contagious Agalactia in Goats

Mycoplasma putrefaciens is one of the etiologic agents of contagious agalactia in goats. We report herein the complete genome sequence of Mycoplasma putrefaciens strain 9231.

Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma putrefaciens Type Strain KS1

Mycoplasma putrefaciens is a causative agent of contagious agalactia in goats. Reported herein is the complete genome sequence of the M. putrefaciens type strain KS1.

Detection of mycoplasmas in goat milk by flow cytometry

The detection of mycoplasma in milk can be performed by either culture techniques or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods. Although PCR can reduce the average diagnostic time to 5 h in comparison with the several days for the isolation of the agent, there is still a need to develop methods, which could give earlier results. For this purpose, we tested the ability of flow cytometry (FC) to detect mycoplasmas in milk samples. Milk samples inoculated with four different mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma agalactiae, Mycoplasma putrefaciens, Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. Capricolum, or Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides large-colony type, known to cause contagious agalactia in goats, were stained with the DNA stain SYBR Green I and analyzed by FC. Three goat milk samples, from which mycoplasmas have been isolated in broth medium were also analyzed. All mycoplasmas were easily distinguished from debris of milk samples, but it was not possible to distinguish between the different mycoplasma species. In our conditions, the detection limit of the technique was of the order of 10(3)-10(4) cells ml(-1). Furthermore, mycoplasmas were also distinguished from Staphylococcus aureus. FC together with SYBR Green I was able to distinguish between mycoplasma cells and debris present in milk samples and gave results in 20-30 min. This is an important first step in developing a robust, routine flow cytometric method for the detection of mycoplasmas in milk samples.

Microbiological survey for Mycoplasma spp. in a contagious agalactia endemic area

In this work, we report a microbiological survey for Mycoplasma spp. undertaken between 2001 and 2002 in 28 goat herds in Gran Canaria, Spain, an area where contagious agalactia is endemic. All herds were randomly selected and represented approximately 15.5% of the total goat population of the island. A variable number of milk, articular and auricular swab samples were collected from each flock and cultured in specific mycoplasma culture media. There was a total of 38.5% positive flocks from which 37 mycoplasma isolates were obtained. In contrast with previous data obtained in Spain, our results showed that the large colony variant of M. mycoides subsp. mycoides ( Mmm LC) was the most commonly isolated agent associated with contagious agalactia. This species was isolated from 90% of the positive herds and accounted for 54.1% of all isolations. M. agalactiae was isolated from 40% of the positive herds (27% of all isolations) and in six herds M. arginini was isolated (18.7% of all isolations). No M. capricolum or M. putrefaciens strains were isolated. Mycoplasmas were isolated from 21 milk samples, 15 ear canals swabs and one articular sample. The association of several species was reported in several herds. These results are at variance with previous serological studies, which indicated a higher disease prevalence, and suggest that it could be necessary to use detection techniques such PCR to confirm the existence of contagious agalactia in goats.

Pathology of experimentally induced contagious agalactia in goats

Contagious agalactia was produced experimentally in four groups of goats (each group seven goats) using a local isolate of Mycoplasma agalactiae and employing four different routes of inoculation (intravenous, intramammary, subcutaneous and oral). Pathologically, there was acute to chronic mastitis in the intramammary and subcutaneously inoculated groups; acute synovitis in the intravenously inoculated group and to a lesser extent in the intramammary inoculated group; and subacute enteritis in the orally inoculated group. No changes were detected in the eyes. It was concluded that the used M. agalactiae isolate could cause synovitis and severe mastitis, the impacts of which on the general health and productivity of the animals were evident.

Contagious agalactia in goats: It's severity as related to the route of infection and pregnancy

Contagious agalactia was produced experimentally in four groups of goats (each containing seven goats) using a local isolate of Mycoplasma agalactiae, employing four different routes of inoculation (intravenous, intramammary, subcutaneous and oral) each. Major clinical signs throughout the experiment were mastitis, arthritis, and conjunctivitis. Clinical signs were most obvious in the subcutaneously inoculated group which also yielded the highest number of M. agalactiae recoveries before and after sacrifice, followed by the intramammary, intravenous and lastly the orally inoculated group. Pregnant animals were affected more severely than non-pregnant animals.