Contagious agalactia by Mycoplasma agalactiae in small ruminants in Brazil: first report

• Autor(a) principal: Azevedo,Edisio Oliveira de
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Alcântara,Maria Dalva Bezerra de, Nascimento,Elmiro Rosendo do, Tabosa,Ivon Macedo, Barreto,Maria Lúcia, Almeida,Juliana Ferreira de, Araújo,Marília D'Oliveira, Rodrigues,Ana Rosa Oliveira, Riet-Correa,Franklin, Castro,Roberto Soares de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Microbiology
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822006000400033
• topic: contagious agalactia; Mycoplasma agalactiae; small ruminants

Two outbreaks of contagious agalactia by Mycoplasma agalactiae occurred in Paraíba State, Northeastern Region of Brazil are reported. The disease was characterized by mastitis, agalactia and polyarthritis in does and polyarthritis and conjunctivitis in kids and lambs. Fever and anorexia were also observed. Morbidy was from 26.1% to 100% in does, 36.5 to 100% in kids and 49% in lambs. In one farm 14.3% of the lactating goats and 6.4% of the kids died or were euthanized. In the other, 3.3% of the does, 36.5% of the kids and 22.9% of the lambs died and 84 affected goats were euthanized to control the disease. M. agalactiae was isolated from milk, joint exudates, nasal swabs and ear washings. The colonies were characteristic of Mycoplasma and the agent did not ferment both glucose and arginin. It was typed as Mycoplasma agalactiae by immunoperoxidase and PCR. This is the first report of M. agalactiae infection in Brazil, but the source of the infection remains unknown.