Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Published on: February 24, 2023
Isolation of mycoplasma spp. from racing pigeons (Columba livia)
I F Keymer1, R H Leach, R A Clarke
1MAFF Veterinary Investigation Centre, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
Abstract:
Live and dead racing pigeons (Columba livia) from five lofts in Norfolk and Suffolk were examined clinically and cultured for Mycoplasma spp. Both clinically healthy birds and those showing signs of mild respiratory disease were included. The oropharynx was the culture site for 130 live birds, the nasal sinuses and other tissues for 58 carcases. Mycoplasma columbinum, M. columborale and M. columbinasale were isolated from the oropharynges and nasal sinuses; M. columbinum and M. columbinasale from the brain and M. columbinum and M. columborale from lungs and air sacs. One or more of these three Mycoplasma spp. was isolated at necropsy from 28% of 58 pigeons. Only 11% of 37 pigeons reacted sero-logically by the metabolism inhibition test to M. columbinum and none to M. columborale. Twenty-five birds examined for M. gallisepticum antibody by the haemagglutination-inhibition test were negative. No sex or age predilection to infection with Mycoplasma was apparent. About 10% of pigeons in all five lofts showed clinical signs of the respiratory disease sometimes described as 'mycoplasmosis catarrh', but most dead birds from which Mycoplasma spp. were isolated also had concomitant infections of various kinds. Although suggestive, the results of these investigations provide no clear evidence that Mycoplasma spp. are aetiologically involved in natural respiratory disease of pigeons. No conclusive satisfactory treatment was found for the elimination of mycoplasmas.
Insights
Researchers investigated Mycoplasma species in racing pigeons, finding these bacteria in 28% of birds. However, evidence linking Mycoplasma to pigeon respiratory disease remains inconclusive, and no effective treatment was identified.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Avian Pathology
- Mycoplasmology
Background:
- Mycoplasma species are implicated in avian respiratory diseases.
- Pigeon respiratory disease, often termed 'mycoplasmosis catarrh', affects racing flocks.
- The specific role of Mycoplasma spp. in pigeon respiratory illness requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and identify Mycoplasma species in racing pigeons from Norfolk and Suffolk.
- To determine the association between Mycoplasma isolation and clinical signs of respiratory disease.
- To assess the serological prevalence of Mycoplasma infections and evaluate treatment efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Clinical examination and microbiological culture of oropharyngeal swabs from live pigeons.
- Necropsy and tissue culture from dead pigeons.
- Serological testing using metabolism inhibition and haemagglutination inhibition tests.
Main Results:
- Mycoplasma columbinum, M. columborale, and M. columbinasale were isolated from various tissues.
- Mycoplasma spp. were isolated from 28% of necropsied pigeons.
- Low serological prevalence was observed for M. columbinum and M. columborale; M. gallisepticum antibodies were absent.
- No clear link was established between Mycoplasma isolation and respiratory disease, with concurrent infections common in diseased birds.
Conclusions:
- While Mycoplasma species are present in racing pigeons, their etiological role in natural respiratory disease is not definitively proven.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of pigeon respiratory disease.
- No conclusive treatment for mycoplasma elimination in pigeons was identified.
