Mycoplasma (Ex3)

Question 1

Mycoplasma general features

• morphology
• habitat
• unique features

Answer 1

• Mollicutes, bacteria with soft skin
• no cell wall, pleomorphic
• smallest free living bacteria
• inhabit mucous membranes of respiratory and reproductive tracts
• not susceptible to penicillin
• when grown in-vitro, fried egg appearance

Question 2

How does Mycoplasma cause disease?

Answer 2

Associate, colonize: 
- ciliary or epithelial attachment
Evade, multiply: 
- antigenic mimicry by absorbing host cell antigens 
- persist on cell surface 
Damage:
- direct contact cell peroxidation, complement/antibody lysis
- indirect superantigen immunomodulation

Question 3

Mycoplasma hypopneumoniae

• host
• transmission
• disease caused, signs
• pathogenesis

Answer 3

• swine
• spread by direct contact
• chronic respiratory disease
• chronic non-productive cough, unthrifty appearance, decreased weight gain
• adheres to ciliated epithelium in bronchi
• hyperplasia BALT (cuffing pneumonia)

Question 4

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

• bacteria
• important features
• type of disease and signs

Answer 4

• mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides
• reportable disease
• most virulent mycoplasma in cattle
• respiratory disease
• respiratory distress, coughing, nasal discharge, lethargy

Question 5

Mycoplasma bovis

- diseases caused

Answer 5

• bronchopneumonia
• mastitis: drop in milk production, swollen udder, milk thick and mixed with purulent secretions
• arthritis

Question 6

Which bacteria cause urogenital infections in cattle?

• habitat
• signs

Answer 6

• Ureaplasma diversum: normal commensal of lower urogenital tract
• Mycoplasma bovigenitalium
• seminal vesiculitis in Bulls
• granular vulvitis, vaginitis, endometritis, and abortions in cows

Question 7

Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia

• bacteria
• features of the disease
• hosts

Answer 7

• Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae
• fatal disease
• reportable
• goats

Question 8

What disease is caused by M. agalactiae and M. putrefaciens?

Answer 8

Contagious agalactia of sheep and goats

Question 9

Mycoplasma gallisepticum

• disease caused
• hosts
• signs

Answer 9

• Chronic respiratory diseases in chickens and turkeys
• reportable
• coughing, nasal discharges, tracheal rales, sinusitis with thick mucous exudate, and decrease in egg production

Question 10

Mycoplasma synoviae

• disease caused and signs
• hosts

Answer 10

• synovitis
• lameness, swelling of joints, retarded growth
• birds
• reportable

Question 11

What do the following Mycoplasma cause, and in what host?
M. felis
M. gatae
M. canis
M. ovipneumoniae
M. pulmonis

Answer 11

M. felis: cats - mild respiratory infection, conjunctivitis, horses- self limiting pleuritis, lower airy disease
M. gatae: cats - subQ abscess
M. canis: dogs - urogenital tract disease
M. ovipneumoniae: sheep - secondary pneumonia
M. pulmonis: mice - low grade resp disease

Question 12

Mycoplasma hemofelis

• disease caused
• target cells
• host
• clinical signs

Answer 12

• feline infectious anemia
• target: erythrocytes
• host is cat
• CS: fever, anemia, weakness, icterus, depression

Question 13

Mycoplasma hemosuis

• host
• target cells
• clinical signs

Answer 13

• swine
• erythrocytes
• CS: fever, anemia, weakness, icterus