Molecular detection and pathological evaluation of Mesomycoplasma ovipneumoniae and its co-infecting agents in pneumonic goats of Akola district, India

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 MVSc Student, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

3 Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

4 Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

5 Department of Poultry Science, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

6 Department of Animal Nutrition, Post Graduate Institute of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Krushinagar, Akola, Maharashtra, India

10.22099/ijvr.2026.53925.8100

Abstract

Background: M. ovipneumoniae is one of the pathogens responsible for chronic non-progressive pneumonia in sheep and goats. The pathogen disrupts mucociliary clearance and exacerbates disease severity through secondary infections. Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of M. ovipneumoniae from pneumonic goats and to identify related pathomorphology. Methods: A total of 680 goat carcasses from Akola, Maharashtra, India, were examined. From these, 80 lung samples exhibiting pneumonia were collected, processed for M. ovipneumoniae confirmation and characterized for pulmonary lesions. Results: PCR analysis using genus specific primers identified Mycoplasma spp. in 35 cases (43.75%), while species specific primers targeting a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene confirmed M. ovipneumoniae in 24 cases (30%). Additionally, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida were detected in 8 (33.33%, 8/24) and 3 (12.5%, 3/24) cases by employing PCR with 2 (8.33%, 2/24) cases exhibiting concurrent infection of all three pathogens, respectively. Five PCR amplicons of M. ovipneumoniae were subjected to phylogenetic analysis, confirming their clustering with other M. ovipneumoniae strains from India, USA and Turkey, while remaining distinct from other Mycoplasma spp. Histopathological analysis of M. ovipneumoniae positive lungs revealed bronchopneumonia (73.3%), broncho-interstitial pneumonia (13.3%) and interstitial pneumonia (26.66%). Characteristic lesions included fibrinous pleuritis, bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia, necrotic alveolitis with type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, thickened interalveolar septa, syncytial cell formation and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Co-infections resulted in more severe lesions. Conclusion: The study confirmed the occurrence of M. ovipneumoniae in pneumonic goats from the region underscoring the need for large scale studies to understand its epidemiology.

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References

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