Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides

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
- Vaccination in endemic regions

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