Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004;45(3-4):167-79.
doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-45-167.

Experimental contagious caprine pleuropneumonia: a long term study on the course of infection and pathology in a flock of goats infected with Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae

H O Wesonga  1 , G Bölske, F Thiaucourt, C Wanjohi, R Lindberg
Affiliations

Experimental contagious caprine pleuropneumonia: a long term study on the course of infection and pathology in a flock of goats infected with Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae

H O Wesonga et al. Acta Vet Scand. 2004.

Abstract

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a major threat to goat farming in parts of Africa and Asia. It classically causes acute high morbidity and mortality early in infection, but little is known of its long term epizootiology and course. In this study, 10 goats were inoculated with Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (M. capripneumoniae) and then mixed with 15 goats for contact transmission. The disease course was monitored in each goat for 56-105 days, whereafter the goats were killed and necropsied. Varying features signifying infection occurred in altogether 17 goats (7 inoculated, 10 in-contact). Clinical signs were severe in 8 goats but no fatalities occurred. Only 6 goats had serum antibody titres against M. capripneumoniae in ELISA. Fourteen goats (5 inoculated, 9 in-contact) had chronic pleuropulmonary lesions compatible with CCPP at necropsy and 7 of those showed M. capripneumoniae antigen in the lung by immunohistochemistry. Neither cultivation nor PCR tests were positive for the agent in any goat. The results indicate that the clinical course of CCPP in a flock may be comparatively mild, M. capripneumoniae-associated lung lesions may be present at a late stage of infection, and chronic infection may occur without a significant serological response.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Serum antibody response (OD value of i-ELISA) in relation to period of fever and pleuropulmonary lesions and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for M. capripneumoniae at necropsy in sero-reactive group A (inoculated) goats. Days = days post inoculation. formula image - formula image : Period of fever; † : Timepoint of necropsy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum antibody response (OD value of i-ELISA) in relation to period of fever and pleuropulmonary lesions and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for M. capripneumoniae at necropsy in sero-reactive group B (in-contact exposed) goats. Days = days post initial contact exposure. formula image - formula image : Period of fever; † : Timepoint of necropsy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Alveolar exudate with prominence of alveolar macrophages, admixed with neutrophils. Goat no. 160. H&E, ×123.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Collagen-rich granulation tissue in the alveolar tissue. Goat no. 142. Masson's trichrome, ×123.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Immunostained M. capripneumoniae antigen in alveolar macrophages (one is arrowed) and free in alveoli (arrow-head). Control goat (culture positive) for immunohistochemistry. StreptABC/HRP, ×504.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Immunostained M. capripneumoniae antigen in alveolar macrophages (arrows) of an inoculated goat (no. 188). StreptABC/HRP, ×318.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Black FT. Modification of the growth inhibition test and application to human T-mycoplasma. Appl Microbiol. 1973;25:525–533. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bölske G. Survey of mycoplasma infections in cell cultures and a compatison of detection methods. Zentralbl Bacteriol Hyg A. 1988;269:331–340. - PubMed
    1. Bölske G. Doctoral thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden; 1995. Respiratory mycoplasmoses in goats, especially with regard to diagnosis of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia.
    1. Bölske G, Johansson KE, Heinonen R, Panvuga PA, Twinamasiko E. Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in Uganda and isolation of Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae from goats and sheep. Vet Rec. 1995;137:594. - PubMed
    1. Bölske G, Mattsson JG, Ros Bascunana C, Bergström K, Wesonga H, Johansson KE. Diagnosis of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia by detection and identification of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis. J Clin Microbiol. 1996;34:785–791. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources