DefinePK

Abstract

Mycoplasma is a member of the Mollicutes group and is the smallest bacteria, which leads to mastitis, arthritis, pneumonia, and reproductive disorders in animals. The major etiological agent behind the scenes is Mycoplasma bovis, which is more prevalent and results in major losses but is the least noticeable due to its subclinical infection. The main source of Mycoplasma transmission is contaminated milking or the introduction of sub-clinically infected animals in the herd. Mycoplasma is found all over the world and is also reported from Pakistan. Mycoplasma is one of the mega problems due to its resistance to antibiotics so once the animal gets infection it is very difficult to get rid of it. It can be easily diagnosed by observing the clinical signs or by culturing the bacteria (fastidious or time-consuming). In this study, we collected 384 milk samples and performed Surf Field Mastitis Test (SFMT) to check the presence of mastitis. All these samples were further evaluated for Mycoplasma bovis by ELISA (ID Screen® Mycoplasma bovis Indirect). Along with this, we targeted the uvrC gene of the Mycoplasma bovis through PCR and LAMP for the rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma. It was observed that 45.57% of animals were positive for mastitis through SFMT and 20.83% prevalence was recorded through ELISA. Only three samples were confirmed for Mycoplasma from all the ELISA-positive animals by LAMP assay. None of the samples was positive for PCR. IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the SFMT and ELISA-positive animals as compared to the healthy ones.