Studies into the prevalence of Mycoplasma species in small ruminants in Benue State, North-central Nigeria

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2014-08, Vol.46 (6), p.1087-1092
• Main Authors: Akwuobu, Chinedu A, Ayling, Roger D, Chah, Kennedy Foinkfu, Oboegbulem, Stephen I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; carrier state; Carrier State - veterinary; Culture techniques; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis - veterinary; digitonin; Disease control; Goat Diseases - epidemiology; Goat Diseases - microbiology; Goats; Life Sciences; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma - genetics; Mycoplasma - isolation & purification; Mycoplasma arginini; Mycoplasma Infections - epidemiology; Mycoplasma Infections - veterinary; Mycoplasma mycoides; Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae; Nigeria - epidemiology; nose; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Prevalence; Regular Articles; Ruminantia; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - epidemiology; Sheep Diseases - microbiology; species identification; Species Specificity; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-014-0613-6

The indicative prevalence of respiratory Mycoplasma species in small ruminants (SR) was determined in North-central Nigeria. Nasal swabs from 172 sheep and 336 goats from the Northeast, Northwest and South Senatorial Districts of Benue State were examined. Initial Mycoplasma isolation used Mycoplasma culture techniques followed by digitonin sensitivity testing. Species identification was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Overall, Mycoplasma organisms were isolated from 131 (25.8 %) of the 508 SR examined. Prevalence rates of 18.1 and 29.8 % were recorded for sheep and goats, respectively. A total of 135 isolates of Mycoplasma belonging to three different species were identified: Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (127), Mycoplasma arginini (7) and Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri (1). More than one Mycoplasma species were detected in four (3.1 %) of the 131 confirmed Mycoplasma positive cultures. Mycoplasma was isolated from 16.2 and 29.1 % of animals with and without respiratory signs, respectively. The high isolation rate of mycoplasmas in apparently healthy and clinically sick sheep and goats in this study indicates a carrier status in these SR which may constitute a serious problem in disease control.