Abstract
The prevalence and level of colonisation by respiratory mycoplasmas, especially by Mycoplasma dispar (M. dispar), in calves on 24 Finnish calf rearing farms were studied by using nasal swabs. A minimum of 5 calves from each farm was examined and 91.3 % of the 206 calves examined were 1 to 5 months old. Nine herds were selected on account a diagnosed respiratory disease problem, the others without anamnestic knowledge of their health condition.
All 24 farms and 96.1 % of the calves examined were found to harbour one or more species of mycoplasma. M. dispar, M. bovirhinis and Acholeplasma laidlawii were isolated from 23, 19 and 3 farms or from 91.7, 51.9 and 3.4 % of the calves investigated, respectively.
The prevalence for M. dispar was 97.8 % and the geometric mean titer 4.9 log10 color changing units (ccu) among 1- to 5-month old calves belonging to the infected farms. The prevalence in the age-group of 6- to 12-month old calves was significantly lower (40 %). No significant difference was found in the level of colonisation by M. dispar among the one-month age-groups of the 1- to 5-month old calves. A high degree of colonisation among 1- to 2-month old calves was indicative of the high ability of M. dispar to spread and colonise the respiratory pathway of young calves in the conditions described. The same state still prevailing in calves aged 4 to 5 months supported the concept of a relatively long duration of a heavy colonisation by this mycoplasma. The prevalence of M. bovirhinis among 1-to 5-month old calves was lower than that of M. dispar. Any decrease in the level of colonisation of M. bovirhinis could not be demonstrated in older calves. The titer levels of both M. dispar and M. bovirhinis as well as the prevalence of M. bovirhinis were significantly higher in herds having a current respiratory disease problem than in healthy or mildly affected herds. The same relationship applied to the husbandry method of common pens as compared with individual pens. A causal relationship of increased colonisation level, either as cause or effect, to the respiratory disease is suggested, as well as a probably more indirect one to the common pen husbandry type.
Keywords: Mycoplasma infections; mycoplasmosis in cattle; respiratory diseases of cattle; husbandry methods, epidemiology
Sammendrag
Prevalensen och kolonisationsnivån av respiratoriska mykoplasmer, i synnerhet Mycoplasma dispar (M. dispar), hos kalvar i 24 finländska kalvuppfödnings besättningar undersöktes genom odling av nässekret. Minst 5 kalvar från varje gård undersöktes. Av 206 undersökta kalvar var 91.3% i ålder 1 till 5 månader. Nio besättningar valdes på grund av diagnosticerade luftvägs besvär, de övriga utan tidigare vetskap om hälsotillstånd. Alla 24 besättningar och 96.1 % av de undersökta kalvarna visade sig härbörja en eller flere mykoplasma arter. M. dispar, M. bovirhinis och Acholeplasma laidlawii isolerades från 23, 19 och 3 besättningar eller från 91.7, 51.9 och 3.4 % av alla undersökta kalvar.
Förekomsten av M. dispar var 97.8 % och de geometriska medelvärdet for titrarna 4.9 log10 colour changing units (ccu) bland 1–5 månader gamla kalvar i de besmittade besättningarna. Förekomsten i åldergruppen av 6 till 12 månader gamla kalvar var signifikant lägre (40 %). En signifikant skillnad på kolonisationsnivån av M. dispar kunde inte påvisas mellan månadsgrupperna inom 1–5 månader gamla kalvar. Den höga kolonisationsgraden bland 1 till 2 månader gamla kalvar indikerar M. dispars goda förmåga att sprida sig och kolonisera luftvägarna hos unga kalvar under omständigheter som beskrives ovan. Det faktum att situationen är densamma hos kalvar i 4 till 5 månaders åldern som hos yngre understöder antagandet att en relativt långvarig och stark kolonisation är utmärkande för denna mykoplasma. Prevalensen av M. bovirhinis bland 1 till 5 månader gamla kalvar var lägre än av M. dispar. En minskning av kolonisationen med M. bovirhinis kunde inte påvisas hos äldre kalvar. Titernivåerna hos både M. dispar och M. bovirhinis var signifikant högre i besättningar som hade pågående luftvägs lidande än i friska eller i mindre grad angripna besättningar, Samma förhållande kunde fastställas då man jämförde uppfödningssättet, gemensamma boxar med enskilda boxar. Ett kausalsammanhang mellan kolonisationsnivån och luftvägslidandet, vilkendera antingen som orsak eller verkan, framkastas, liksom ett mera indirekt kausalsammanhang med uppställningen i de gemensamma boxarna.
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Acknowledgements
I am deeply indebted to the veterinary surgeons in practice, without whose co-operation this work would not bave been possible. The technical assistance of Miss A. Vehviläinen and Miss T. Loikala is gratefully acknowledged. This study received financial support from The Research Council for Medical Sciences of the Academy of Finland and from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
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