Dynamics of Mycoplasma bovis in Dutch dairy herds during acute clinical outbreaks

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) can cause serious illness in cattle, presenting as arthritis and mastitis in dairy cows and pneumonia, arthritis and otitis media in calves. This study aimed to provide insight into the dynamics of M. bovis within dairy herds, experiencing an acute outbreak in dairy cows....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The veterinary journal (1997) 2022-05, Vol.283-284, p.105841-105841, Article 105841
Main Authors: Penterman, P.M., Holzhauer, M., van Engelen, E., Smits, D., Velthuis, A.G.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arthritis - epidemiology
Arthritis - veterinary
Cattle
Disease Outbreaks - veterinary
Female
M. bovis
Mastitis, Bovine - microbiology
Milk - microbiology
Mycoplasma bovis
Mycoplasma bovis - genetics
Mycoplasma Infections - epidemiology
Mycoplasma Infections - veterinary
On-farm dynamics
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Summary:Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) can cause serious illness in cattle, presenting as arthritis and mastitis in dairy cows and pneumonia, arthritis and otitis media in calves. This study aimed to provide insight into the dynamics of M. bovis within dairy herds, experiencing an acute outbreak in dairy cows. Twenty farms were followed with laboratory testing of suspected dairy cows. Each outbreak farm was sampled five times, at 2–3 week intervals, sampling blood and milk and conjunctival fluid from clinically suspected dairy cows and healthy animals from three different age groups: dairy cows, young stock (7–24 months) and calves (1–6 months). Additionally, bulk tank milk was sampled every visit and environmental samples were taken on the first and last visits. The presence of M. bovis was tested by evaluating antibody titres in blood, bacterial DNA in conjunctival fluid and environmental samples and viable bacteria in milk samples. All data were analysed using logistic regression models, corrected for repeated sampling and within-herd correlation. Sixty percent (12/20) of the herds showed a combination of arthritis and mastitis, while other herds experienced only clinically mastitis (3/20) or arthritis (5/20). From the time an outbreak was confirmed, M. bovis infection was not only present in dairy cows, but also in young stock and calves (80% of the farms). Laboratory tests also confirmed the presence of M. bovis in healthy animals. The M. bovis PCR levels of calves and young stock were highly correlated at all visits (rtotal = 0.81, P 
ISSN:1090-0233
1532-2971
DOI:10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105841