Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

• Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is caused by M. mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony type
• A severe contagious disease of cattle
• Endemic in Africa, the Middle East and Asia
• Aerosol transmission by close contact with clinically or subclinically affected animals
• Severity depends on strain and host susceptibility
• Slow spread of infection
• 50% morbidity; mortality rate high in severe outbreaks
• Large colony type causes pleuropneumonia, mastitis, septicaemia and polyarthritis

• Clinical signs
  • Acute onset fever, anorexia, depression, lowered milk yield, hyperpnoea, coughing and a mucopurulent nasal discharge
  • Dyspnoea occurs with abducted elbows and extended necks and an expiratory grunt
  • Can be fatal within 1-3 weeks
  • Calves may suffer from arthritis, synovitis and endocarditis

• Gross pathology
  • Marbled appearance to lungs with consolidated grey and red lobules separated by emphysematous areas
  • Serofibrinous pleural fluid
  • Necrotic foci surrounded by fibrous capsules in chronic cases act as source of infection

• Diagnosis
  • Clinical signs and post-mortem appearance
  • PCR on pleural fluid, lung tissue, regional lymph nodes or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
  • Fluorescent antibody test
  • Serological tests such as serum agglutination, haemagglutination, complement fixation, ELISA

• Treatment and control
  • Slaughter of affected cattle in counries where the disease is exotic
  • Movement restrictions, quaranteen and slaughter of carrier animals in endemic countries

• M. mycoides subsp. 'mycoides causes septicaemia, pleuropneumonia, arthritis and mastitis in goats

• • Vaccination in endemic regions