Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria
Division:	Firmicutes
Class:	Mollicutes
Order:	Mycoplasmatales
Family:	Mycoplasmataceae
Genus:	Mycoplasma
Species:	M. ovipneumoniae
Binomial name
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is a species of Mycoplasma bacteria that most commonly inhabits and affects ovine animals. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen of domestic sheep, domestic goats, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats that can both cause primary atypical pneumonia and also predispose to secondary pneumonia with other agents, including Mannheimia haemolytica. ^[1] There are several mechanisms involved in the pathogenicity of M.Ovipneumoniae including; altering macrophage activity, adhering to the ruminants ciliated epitheluim via its polysaccharide capsule, inducing the production of autoantibiodies to cilary antigens and suppressive activity on lymphocytes, all of which are important factors that contribute to the disease in sheep and other small ruminants. The bacterium also has the ability to act as a prediposing factor for other bacterial and viral infections.

Populations of M.ovipneumoniae of infected sheep are often found to have varying strains of the bacterium within one animal, but the different strains vary in virulence. ^[2]. The bacterium can be found within the lungs, trachea, and nasal cavity of small ruminants. However, the detection of M.ovipneumoniae can be otained by bacteriologic culture, molecular dignosistics, and serology, allowing for the bacterium to be grown in culture, species specfic DNA sequences, and specific antibiodies identified, respectivitly.

In July 2007 it was discovered that this species of Mycoplasma was responsible for the deaths of bighorn sheep in the Western United States. It was theorized that the pathogen was passed to the wild bighorn sheep by domestic sheep that come into close contact with their wild counterparts while grazing.^[3]. M.ovipneumoniae has been found to be a predominant bacteria associated with bronopneumonia lesions in free ranging bighorn sheep, by either being introduced from domestic sheep or bighorn sheep can be be long term carriers of the bacteria with a sudden on set of symptons. Once M.ovipneumoniae is within a population it becomes very persistent and difficult to eliminate. However, Mycoplasma spp are labile organisms which are easily destroyed by heat, dehydration, sunlight and common disinfectants and therefore they do not survive for a long time outside the body of the animal.^[4]. As of now, and with many of Mycoplasma diseases, no protective immune responses have been achieved with the use of vaccines, even though antibodies can be obtained.

References

1. ^ "Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae associated with severe repiratory disease in goats" (in English). Journal of the British Veterinary Association. 2011. 
2. ^ Harvey, et al. (2007-02-15). "Sheepflock infections with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae involve multiple strains" (in English). 
3. ^ Riddler, Keith (2007-07-06). "Biologists find answer to dying sheep" (in English). Yahoo! News (Yahoo!). http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070706/ap_on_bi_ge/farm_scene_3. Retrieved 2007-07-07. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Kusiluka, et al. (2008-04-07) (in English). Common Diseases of Sheep and Goats in Sub-Saharan Africa. DFID. http://www.smallstock.info/research/reports/R5499/ch4-mycoplasma.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-12.