Isolation and prevalence of Mycoplasma agalactiae in Kurdish sheep in Kurdistan, Iran

Abstract

Aim: Ruminant Mycoplasmosis are important diseases worldwide and several are listed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to be of major economic significant. The aim of this study was to isolation mycoplasmas from sheep presenting contagious agalactiae (CA) in Kurdistan in the West of Iran. Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine samples included (milk, conjuctiva swabs, synovial fluid and ear canal swabs) were examined by PCR assay during 2011-2012. DNAwas extracted from enriched samples. Two primers (forward and reverse) amplify a 163bp region of 16S rRNAgene of Mycoplasma genus and two primers amplify 375bp region of 16S rRNAgene of Mycoplasma agalactiae (M. agalactiae) species were used. Results: This proved that 46 samples (66.7%) were infected with Mycoplasma in culture and PCR test, respectively. On the PCR test, 15 isolates (32.6%) examined were positive for M. agalactiae that showed specific amplicon at 375bp. All Mycoplasma positive samples were analyzed for M. agalactiae infection by PCR method and 31 isolates (67.4%) examined were negative for M. agalactiae. The finding of other mycoplasmas with significant epidemiology challenges existing plans for the control of CAin sheep population in Iran. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that M. agalactiae in CAdisease in Kurdistan Province, 32.6% involved. In Iran, only M. agalactiae vaccines are commercially available, thus, the animals are not protected against these other species.