Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
Encyclopedia
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. 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. . 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.. 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.. 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.
Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma refers to a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall. Without a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. They can be parasitic or saprotrophic. Several species are pathogenic in humans,...
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. There are several mechanisms involved in the pathogenicity
Pathogenicity
Pathogenicity is the ability of a pathogen to produce an infectious disease in an organism.It is often used interchangeably with the term "virulence", although virulence is used more specifically to describe the relative degree of damage done by a pathogen, or the degree of pathogenicity caused by...
of M.Ovipneumoniae including; altering macrophage
Macrophage
Macrophages are cells produced by the differentiation of monocytes in tissues. Human macrophages are about in diameter. Monocytes and macrophages are phagocytes. Macrophages function in both non-specific defense as well as help initiate specific defense mechanisms of vertebrate animals...
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. . The bacterium can be found within the lungs, trachea
Trachea
Trachea may refer to:* Vertebrate trachea, or windpipe, in terrestrial vertebrates, such as birds and mammals* Invertebrate trachea, in terrestrial invertebrates, such as insects and crustaceans* Vessel elements in plants...
, and nasal cavity
Nasal cavity
The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.- Function :The nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract...
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
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
in the Western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was theorized that the pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
was passed to the wild bighorn sheep by domestic sheep that come into close contact with their wild counterparts while grazing.. M.ovipneumoniae has been found to be a predominant bacteria associated with bronopneumonia lesions in free ranging bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
, by either being introduced from domestic sheep or bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
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.. 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.