Samples from cattle with pneumonia
and/or arthritis were cultured for
Mycoplasma. When requested, the
Mycoplasma isolates were further
identified to species by polymerase chain
reaction or restriction fragment length
polymorphism. The records of all cases
where mycoplasma testing was performed
were examined and other infectious agents
known to cause pneumonia or arthritis
were recorded. Mycoplasma species were
isolated from 85% of the lung samples and
69% of the joint samples. Eighty-four
percent of the 81 Mycoplasma isolates that
were further identified were M. bovis,
which clearly made it the most common
pathogenic agent identified in samples
from cattle with pneumonia and/or arthritis.
M. bovis appeared to play an important role
in feedlot pneumonia and was the most
common cause of arthritis. Unfortunately,
treatment and prevention options are
currently either ineffective or their
effectiveness is unknown.
