Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 6364

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Guest Editor
Department of Cattle and Sheep Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, 57 Partyzantów Avenue, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland
Interests: ruminant mycoplasmas, immunology, vaccines
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Dear Colleagues,

Respiratory tract infections are one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in cattle, especially in groups of calves. Some bovine mycoplasma species such as Mycoplasma bovis are known to be major respiratory pathogens in cattle. M. bovis is also responsible for fatal cases of pneumonia, which mainly occur in calves. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) causes significant economic losses for the cattle industry. It is characterized by a multifactorial etiology in which bacterial infections, including mycoplasmas, play an important role. Recently, M. bovis was recognized as primary agent of BRD. Other mycoplasma species isolated from cattle such as Mycoplasma dispar are also associated with pneumonia cases and considered as etiological agents of BRD. Further studies are required to explain an exact role of bovine mycoplasmas in the etiology and pathogenesis of respiratory problems in cattle.

Both original and review articles highlighting the progress made on the role of mycoplasmas in respiratory tract infections of cattle are welcome.

Dr. Katarzyna Dudek
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cattle
  • mycoplasmas
  • respiratory infections
  • bovine respiratory disease
  • immunology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 411 KiB  
Article
Comparing Occurrence of Bovine Respiratory Pathogens Detected by High-Throughput Real-Time PCR in Nasal Swabs and Non-Endoscopic Bronchoalveolar Lavage Samples from Dairy and Veal Calves
by Nina Dam Otten, Nicole Bakkegård Goecke, Anne Marie Michelsen, Liza Rosenbaum Nielsen, Nynne Capion, Henrik Læssøe Martin, Bodil Højlund Nielsen, Lars Erik Larsen and Mette Bisgaard Petersen
Pathogens 2024, 13(6), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13060479 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1135
Abstract
This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the agreement between two sampling methods for the detection of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens in calves using high-throughput real-time qPCR (ht-RT-qPCR). In total, 233 paired nasal swab (NS) and non-endoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) samples [...] Read more.
This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the agreement between two sampling methods for the detection of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens in calves using high-throughput real-time qPCR (ht-RT-qPCR). In total, 233 paired nasal swab (NS) and non-endoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (nBAL) samples were collected from 152 calves from 12 Danish cattle herds. In 202 of the observations, the calves were examined using a standardized clinical protocol. Samples were tested for three viruses (bovine respiratory syncytial virus, bovine corona virus, and influenza D virus) and six bacteria (Histophilus somni, Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, Mycoplasma species, Pasteurella multocida, and Truepurella pyogenes). The results showed age-related differences in disease and pathogen occurrence, with the highest detection rates in calves aged 35 days or older. Poor to moderate agreement was found between the NS and nBAL results. The presence of Mannheimia haemolytica in both NS and nBAL in younger calves and in nBAL in older calves was associated with clinical BRD. There was a potential link between BRD and influenza D virus in older calves, although it was only found in one herd in a small sample size. Overall, NS was a relatively poor predictor of pathogens in the lower respiratory tract. The present study confirms the complexity of pathogen detection in BRD, with marked influences of age and the sampling method on pathogen detection and disease associations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle)
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9 pages, 401 KiB  
Article
A Set of Multiresistant Isolates of Mycoplasma bovis Subtype ST-1 with a Variable Susceptibility to Quinolones Are Also Circulating in Spain
by Juan Carlos Corrales, Antonio Sánchez, Xóchitl Hernández, Joaquín Amores-Iniesta, Antón Esnal and Christian de la Fe
Pathogens 2024, 13(4), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13040329 - 16 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1182
Abstract
Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is one of the worldwide most important infectious agents involved in respiratory complex diseases (RCD). In Spain, the endemic presence of subtypes ST-2 and ST-3 with phenotypic differences linked to their susceptibility to fluoroquinolones opened the way [...] Read more.
Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is one of the worldwide most important infectious agents involved in respiratory complex diseases (RCD). In Spain, the endemic presence of subtypes ST-2 and ST-3 with phenotypic differences linked to their susceptibility to fluoroquinolones opened the way to develop control strategies focused on previous diagnosis of the subtype and the use of directed therapies when M. bovis were involved in RCD. Surprisingly, microbiological studies conducted during 2023 evidenced for the first time the presence of Spanish isolates of a new polC-subtype, previously classified as ST-1, recovered from calves with respiratory symptoms and pneumonia in different areas of the country (n = 16). Curiously, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to a panel of antimicrobials revealed phenotypic differences between these ST-1 isolates when using fluoroquinolones (FLQ). There is no geographical correlation between MIC profiles even for a set of 8 isolates recovered from different animals in the same flock. Sequencing of 4 genes (gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE) encoding quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) evidenced the presence of accumulate mutations in 2 ST-1 isolates with high FLQ MICs, but not in all them (n = 3), thus suggesting that, as previously recorded for ST-2 isolates, other mechanisms should be involved in the acquisition of resistence to these antimicrobials. Additionally, as previously detected in the Spanish ST-2 and ST-3, subtype ST-1 isolates are also resistant to macrolides or lincosamides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle)
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10 pages, 244 KiB  
Article
Presence of Mycoplasma bovis in Bulk Tank Milk and Associated Risk Factor Analysis in Serbian Dairy Farms
by Milan Ninković, Vesna Milićević, Sonja Radojičić, Dejan Bugarski and Nataša Stević
Pathogens 2024, 13(4), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13040302 - 6 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1559
Abstract
Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is a significant pathogen responsible for highly transmissible mastitis in cattle globally. It primarily spreads through colostrum, milk, and semen. Cows with persistent infections act as carriers, intermittently releasing the pathogen, making their milk a pivotal factor [...] Read more.
Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is a significant pathogen responsible for highly transmissible mastitis in cattle globally. It primarily spreads through colostrum, milk, and semen. Cows with persistent infections act as carriers, intermittently releasing the pathogen, making their milk a pivotal factor in infection transmission. Given the limited seroprevalence surveys in Serbia, this study aimed to detect M. bovis presence in bulk tank milk (BTM), determine route shedding, and evaluate infection risks. BTM samples were collected from 115 dairy farms across Serbia, with M. bovis DNA detected in 11 out of the 115 samples by real-time PCR. Additionally, M. bovis was detected in 1.30% of nasal swabs sampled from apparently healthy animals. A univariate analysis of the risk factors associated with M. bovis presence in the BTM samples revealed correlations with factors such as the breed, farm seropositivity, pre-milking and post-milking disinfection practices, farm type, cow population, milk yield, number of cows in the BTM samples, and parity. Seropositive farms exhibited the highest likelihood of M. bovis presence in milk. Moreover, pre- and post-milking disinfection practices and highly productive cows yielding over 8000 L of milk were identified as risk factors for PCR-positive BTM. In a multivariable mixed regression analysis, a risk factor for the presence of M. bovis infection in the BTM sample was the Holstein breed. These findings underscore a relatively high prevalence of M. bovis in BTM within Serbian dairy farms, suggesting a potential risk for M. bovis spreading through milk and oral route of calves’ infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle)
18 pages, 1607 KiB  
Article
The Role of Mycoplasma bovirhinis in the Development of Singular and Concomitant Respiratory Infections in Dairy Calves from Southern Brazil
by Ana Paula Souza Frucchi, Alais Maria Dall Agnol, Eloiza Teles Caldart, Dalton Everton Bronkhorst, Alice Fernandes Alfieri, Amauri Alcindo Alfieri and Selwyn Arlington Headley
Pathogens 2024, 13(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13020114 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1399
Abstract
The role of Mycoplasma bovirhinis in the development of pulmonary disease in cattle is controversial and was never evaluated in cattle from Latin America. This study investigated the respiratory infection dynamics associated with M. bovirhinis in suckling calves from 15 dairy cattle herds [...] Read more.
The role of Mycoplasma bovirhinis in the development of pulmonary disease in cattle is controversial and was never evaluated in cattle from Latin America. This study investigated the respiratory infection dynamics associated with M. bovirhinis in suckling calves from 15 dairy cattle herds in Southern Brazil. Nasal swabs were obtained from asymptomatic (n = 102) and calves with clinical manifestations (n = 103) of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and used in molecular assays to identify the specific genes of viral and bacterial disease pathogens of BRD. Only M. bovirhinis, bovine coronavirus (BCoV), ovine gammaherpesvirus 2 (OvGHV2), Histophilus somni, Pasteurella multocida, and Mannheimia haemolytica were detected. M. bovirhinis was the most frequently diagnosed pathogen in diseased (57.8%; 59/102) and asymptomatic (55.3%; 57/103) calves at all farms. BCoV-related infections were diagnosed in diseased (52%; 53/102) and asymptomatic (51.4%; 53/103) calves and occurred in 93.3% (14/15) of all farms. Similarly, infectious due to OvGHV2 occurred in diseased (37.2%; 38/102) and asymptomatic (27.2%; /28/103) calves and were diagnosed in 80% (12/15) of all farms investigated. Significant statistical differences were not identified when the two groups of calves were compared at most farms, except for infections due to OvGHV2 that affected five calves at one farm. These results demonstrated that the respiratory infection dynamics of M. bovirhinis identified in Southern Brazil are similar to those observed worldwide, suggesting that there is not enough sufficient collected data to consider M. bovirhinis as a pathogen of respiratory infections in cattle. Additionally, the possible roles of BCoV and OvGHV2 in the development of BRD are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle)
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Review

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9 pages, 236 KiB  
Review
Recent Role of Microorganisms of the Mollicutes Class in the Etiology of Bovine Respiratory Disease
by Katarzyna Dudek and Robin A. J. Nicholas
Pathogens 2024, 13(11), 951; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13110951 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 365
Abstract
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) inflicts significant losses in cattle farming worldwide and is caused by the co-occurrence of various infectious agents which is often compounded by environmental factors. It is well known that microorganisms of the Mollicutes class are responsible for respiratory disorders [...] Read more.
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) inflicts significant losses in cattle farming worldwide and is caused by the co-occurrence of various infectious agents which is often compounded by environmental factors. It is well known that microorganisms of the Mollicutes class are responsible for respiratory disorders in cattle, including BRD. This review highlights the current role of these microorganisms, in particular Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma dispar, in the etiology of this disease complex, which has recently shifted toward a primary or predominant cause of the disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycoplasmas in Respiratory Tract Infections of Cattle)
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