Mycoplasmas of sheep and goats: a synopsis

The currently recognised mycoplasmas of sheep and goats are briefly reviewed to indicate their pathogenicities, the various disease syndromes with which they be associated and their geographical distribution. The mycoplasmas of proven pathogenicity not presently known to exist in the United Kingdom and which therefore constitute importation hazards are thereby identified.     

Mycoplasmas isolated from the respiratory tract of cattle and goats in Tanzania

A microbiological study of the mycoplasma flora in the respiratory tracts of cattle and goats in selected regions of Tanzania is described. In the examination of cattle, mycoplasmas were isolated from 60 (17.8%) of the 338 examined lung samples, 8 (47.1%) of the 17 lymph nodes, 4 (13.3%) of the 30 pleural fluid samples and 4 (3.9%) of the 103 nasal swabs examined. All the isolates were identified as Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, Small Colony type except for one isolate from pleural fluid which was identified as Mycoplasma arginini. M. mycoides subsp. mycoides, Small Colony type was isolated from samples originating from Dodoma, Iringa, Mbeya, Morogoro and Shinyanga regions where outbreaks of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia had been reported. In the examination of goats, mycoplasmas were isolated from 54 (34.0%) of the 159 examined lung samples, 41 (18.1%) of the 226 nasal swabs and 4 (40.0%) of the 10 pleural fluid samples. The species demonstrated were Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae, M. mycoides subsp. mycoides, Small Colony type Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and M. Capricolum subsp. arginini. The isolation of M. capripneumoniae in the Coast and Morogoro regions confirmed the presence of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in the regions.     

Patent infection with Setaria digitata in goats in Saudi Arabia.

A survey was carried out on Saudi sheep and goats during 1995, at the Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory, Jeddah, to study Setaria infection in small ruminants in Saudi Arabia. Setaria digitata worms were detected in the abdominal cavity of 5 out of 48 goats (10.4%). Sheep were not found to be infected. All infected goats were adults of 2-4 years of age and originating from the Jeddah, Mecca and Al-Leith areas. Four cases were recorded during January-March and one during August. No lesions due to S. digitata were found in the visceral organs and brains of the infected goats. This is the first record of patent infection with S. digitata in goats.     

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis antibodies in indigenous sheep in Saudi Arabia

A serological survey was conducted in indigenous sheep from Saudi Arabia for detection of antibodies against the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus. Only 0.8% of the sera examined were positive. Epizootiological considerations of the disease in the country are discussed.     

Squamous cell carcinoma in sheep in Saudi Arabia.

Squamous cell carcinoma was recorded in 22 Nadji and 3 Maeimi sheep aged 3-6 years, of which 22 were females. Sixteen tumours involved the eyes, 7 occurred in the skin at different body sites, one developed in the ear and another in the rectum. In five cases secondary deposits were seen in the lymph nodes, nasal passages and upper lip. Surgical treatment was successful in the early stages of tumour development, but in advanced cases recurrences were noted. Histologically the tumours were typical for squamous cell carcinoma and most of them were well differentiated. Solar radiation was pointed out as a possible factor in the aetioloy of the tumour.     

Characterization of a velogenic Newcastle disease virus isolated from broilers in Saudi Arabia

A highly virulent Newcastle disease virus (SA84) was isolated from a large broiler operation in Saudi Arabia. The mean death time of chicken embryos given the minimum lethal dose, the pathogenicity of the isolate for 8-week-old chickens, the plaque characteristics, and the intracerebral pathogenicity index indicated that the isolate is of the viscerotropic velogenic pathotype.     

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in Beetal goats

Seroprevalence, clinical findings, and lesions of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Beetal goats were recorded during an outbreak. The overall seroprevalence of CCPP was 32.50%. Confirmation of Mycoplasma mycoides in serum was carried out using counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) technique. The highest CIE-positive cases were recorded in the older goats (51.72%) as compared to young ones. Nasal swabs collected from 39 goats showing respiratory signs were found positive for M. mycoides. The most consistent clinical findings were mild to severe cough, purulent nasal secretion, emaciation, dyspnea, increased respiration rate, and pyrexia. Mortality due to CCPP was 9.17%. Consolidation of lungs exhibited the highest frequency (100%), followed by alveolar exudation (90.90%) and pleural adhesion (72.72%). Among the microscopic lesions, septal peribronchiolar fibrosis exhibited the highest frequency (81.81%), followed by fibrinous pleuritis (63.63%) and peribronchiolar cuffing of mononuclear cells (54.54%) in lungs. From these results, it was concluded that CCPP under subtropical conditions has high prevalence in Beetal goats and leads to significant mortality.     

Copper status of Najdi sheep in eastern Saudi Arabia under penned and grazing conditions

Summary Concentrations of serum copper were significantly lower in penned Najdi sheep (zero grazed) than in grazing sheep in eastern Saudi Arabia. Soil-plant-animal interrelationships studies suggest that this could be attributed to the low copper to molybdenum ratio in the forages (berseem and Rhodes grass) fed to the penned sheep as compared to pasture plants. This was in line with the status of these minerals in the soils.

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Resumen La concentratión de cobre sérico fue significativamente menor in ovejas Najdi estabuladas, que en ovejas en pastoreo. La relación suelo-planta-animal sugiere, que el fenómeno peude atribuirse, al bajo contenido de cobre en el alimento (berseem y pasto Rhodes) suministrado a los animales estabulados, en relación con el adquirido por los animales en pastoreo.

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Résumé Les concentrations sériques du Cu ont été significativement plus basses chez les moutons Nadji maintenus en enclos que chez ceux admis au paturage. Des études sur la relation sol-plantes-animal donnent à penser que cette situation pourrait être due au faible taux cuivre-molybdène dans les fourrages (Berseem × Rhodes grass) par rapport à celui des plantes des paturages qui se trouvaient être du même ordre que ceux des sols, pour la teneur en ces deux minêraux.

     

Mycoplasmas and acholeplasmas isolated from ducks and their possible association with pasteurellas

Two hundred and sixty-three cases of clinically diseased ducks of all ages were examined for the presence of mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas and acholeplasmas belonging to more than eight serogroups were cultured from 68 of them, and comprised 12 M anatis, one M columbinasale, two M gallinaceum, two M gallinarum, nine M synoviae, three unidentified Mycoplasma species, 37 Acholeplasma laidlawii and one unclassified acholeplasma belonging to each of serogroups 7 and 8. They were identified by biochemical characterisation, disc growth inhibition and agar gel diffusion tests. Fifty-three (78 per cent) of the isolates occurred with species of Pasteurella: 33.8 per cent with Pasteurella anatipestifer, 32.4 per cent with P multocida and 11.8 per cent with both P anatipestifer and P multocida. Nine of the isolates (13.2 per cent) were in pure culture and six (8.8 per cent) with other agents. Of the ducks negative for mycoplasmas 33.3 per cent were infected with P anatipestifer, 25.1 per cent with P multocida and 14.4 per cent with both P anatipestifer and P multocida. There was no correlation between the infections with mycoplasmas and P anatipestifer but there was a weak association between the infections with mycoplasmas, especially M anatis and P multocida.     

山羊传染性胸膜肺炎及其诊断与防治

近年来，国家加快了农业和畜牧业结构调整的步伐，湖北省人民政府也及时出台了加快发展畜牧水产业的决定，尤其是突破性发展草食畜牧业的优惠政策，加之退耕还林还草、草山植被恢复等工程项目的实施，使肉羊养殖业进入了快速发展时期。同时，我省相继从国内外引进了波尔山羊、南江黄羊、努比山羊等优良品种以及波本杂交羊，良种肉羊数量大幅度增加。据统计，2003年末，全省已存栏山羊343万只，出栏328万只，产肉5．16万t。但由于在引种过程中忽视检疫和隔离观察，一些疾病被同时引入，养殖户叉普遍缺乏相关的专业技术，诊治不及时，导致了一些传染病的暴发和流行。羊痘、羊传染性胸膜肺炎都时有发生，有的群体感染率高达60％左右，死亡率达40％以上，造成很大损失，严重影响了养羊户的积极性和经济效益。为此，编者特推出一组羊病防治文章，供养羊者参考。     

Mycoplasmas and mites in the ears of clinically normal goats

SUMMARY Mycoplasmas were detected in the external ear canal of goats by swabbing and culture. Up to 10⁸ colony forming units were recovered from single swabs. The resulting cultures were usually mixtures of mycoplasmas containing up to 5 species. The species present in sequential swabs varied. Pathogenic species (M.agalactiae, M.capricolum, M.mycoides subsp. capri, M.mycoides subsp. mycoides of the large colony (LC) type, M.putrefaciens) were isolated from the ears and in addition 3 untyped mycoplasmas G, U and V were often present. The same mycoplasmas were found in large numbers in the mites Psoroptes cuniculi and Raillietla caprae which were sometimes present in the external ear canal. The role of the mycoplasmas in the external ear canal as a source of infection and disease and of the mites in the spread of infection requires further elucidation.     

Peste des petitis ruminants morbillivirus infection in lambs and young goats at Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

An outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in lambs and young goats of Najdi breed of sheep and goats occurred during winter 2005 at Qassim region of central Saudi Arabia. The PPR infection was confirmed by demonstration of antibodies against the virus in the serum of clinically-ill young sheep and goats using competitive ELISA test. Clinical examination of infected animals showed fever, salivation, lacrimation, mucopurulent nasal discharge, difficult breathing and diarrhoea. The disease was particularly severe in the goats. Morbidity was about 20% and mortality was less than 3 percent. Autopsy showed necrotic and ulcerative lesions in the mouth, stomach and intestine. Mesenteric lymph nodes were swollen and congested. The lungs were patchy pneumonic mostly at the diaphragmatic and apical lobes. Liver and kidney lesions were seen in goats only and both organs were congested and necrotic. Histopathological examination revealed necrotic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Intracytoplasmic viral inclusions were seen in the enterocytes of goats. Lung sections showed bronchopneumonia and syncytial and giant cells. The bronchial epithelium of goats had intracytoplasmic viral inclusions. Extensive coagulation necrosis, fatty degeneration and presence of intracytoplasmic viral inclusions were seen in hepatocytes and syncytial cells were evident in biliary epithelium of goats. Congestion, coagulation necrosis and syncytial cells were seen in the renal tubular epithelium of goats only. In a survey to determine the magnitude of the outbreak, PPR antibodies were evidenced in 363/996 (36.6%) sheep and 530/962 (55.1%) goats.