Diagnosis of Mycoplasma agalactiae from various specimens of goats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Mycoplasma agalactiae (M. agalactiae) by bacteriological methods and to reveal the prevalence of the disease in a goat farm with pneumonia, mastitis and arthritis symptoms and deaths. This study was carried out in a Saanen goat farm in Isparta province between January 2015 and January 2017. Samples (milk, intra-articular fluid, internal organs of deceased animals) were brought to Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Microbiology Laboratory and examined by bacteriological methods. Blood samples were collected from 813 goats in aged 1-6 years in the goat farm. Blood sera were tested for Mycoplasma agalactiae with a commercial ELISA kit (IDEXX, France) according to the kit instructions. Mycoplasma colonies were isolated from all samples. As a result of serological examination, 83 (10.2%) animals were positive, 9 (1.1%) animals were suspicious, and the rest were negative by ELISA. The seropositivity of M. agalactiae was ranged from 5.1 % to 28.7% according to age, and it was found quite high in three-year-old animals. With this study, it was determined that the seroprevalance of M. agalactiae is quite high in goats aged three years and above, it can be detected of M. agalactiae in animals that do not show clinical symptoms using ELISA and can be used in eradication of the disease from flocks.