Prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis in Respiratory Tract of Cattle
Slaughtered in Balochistan, Pakistan
Zafar Ahmad*,Shakeel Babar, Ferhat Abbas, Muhammad Arif Awan,
Muhammad Shafee, Mohammad Masood Tariq,Muhammad Alam Mengal, Nadeem Rashid, Shahid Amin1,
Kamran Taj and Mumtaz Ali
Center for Advanced Studies in Vaccinology and
Biotechnology, University of Balochistan, Brewery Road, Quetta;
1Livestock and
Dairy Development Department, Balochistan, Pakistan
Abstract
Cattle lungs (n=1200) obtained from abattoir of
10 districts of Balochistan were processed for isolation and identification of
Mycoplasma species. A
total of 156 isolates produced typical fried egg colonies on Modified Hayflick’s
agar medium and 87.8% were preliminarily identified as Mycoplasma
species, 12.2% species were Acholeplasmas. All the digitonin sensitive isolates were
further subjected to different biochemical and PCR tests for further
identification. Overall prevalence of M.
bovis lungs samples obtained from slaughter house samples was 9%. Among the
Mycoplasma isolates; 108 M. bovis,
29
Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri (Mmc) and 16 M. arginini
were identified through the biochemical tests.
M. bovis and Mycoplasma
mycoides subcluster members were further validated through PCR and RFLP.
Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony type (Mmm SC)
was not isolated from any of the lung samples. Among the Mycoplasma bovis
species isolated, the highest number was observed from Quetta district (16%)
followed by Pishin (15%), Zhob (11 %) and Kalat (10%). Conversely the lowest
number of M. bovis isolates was found in Bolan (2%) district followed by
Jaffarabad (3%), 4%, each from Khuzdar, Mustung, Killasaifullah and 7% in Sibi
district. Statistical analysis using chi square test, showed a significance
difference (χ²=33.38) in the recovery of Mycoplasma bovis from the lungs
of cattle slaughtered in 10 districts of Balochistan.