Mycoplasmas isolated from goats and sheep with pleuropneumonia in Saudi Arabia

Pleuropneumonia of goats and sheep has been known to cause serious economic losses in many countries including Saudi Arabia. A preliminary investigation was carried out on 163 goats and 130 sheep which showed clinical symptoms or post-mortem lesions of pleuropneumonia. Pathological samples from the respiratory tract of live or slaughtered goats and sheep (183 and 160 samples respectively) were cultured for mycoplasmas. Of 343 mycoplasma cultures examined 211 (61.5%) isolates were characterised biochemically. A total of 116 isolates were serologically identified as M. mycoides subsp. mycoides, M. ovipneumonia, M. conjunctivae, M. agalactiae subsp. agalactiae, M. putrifaciens and M. arginini. The remaining mycoplasma isolates were not identified. The significance of the identified isolates and their probable pathogenic effect on the respiratory tract of goats and sheep are discussed. Their pathogenicity needs to be established experimentally before initiating a control programme in the Kingdom.