Laboratory diagnosis of animal mycoplasma infections

Laboratory diagnosis of animal mycoplasma infections is generally based on isolation of the mycoplasmas from the diseased tissues, followed by biochemical and serological identification of the isolates. However, the presence of serum antibodies and the demonstration of circulating antigen or antigen in infected lung tissue has also proved invaluable in the diagnosis of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. The isolation of a particular mycoplasma from a diseased tissue does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. It is important to know the pathogenicity potential of the mycoplasma in question, the number of mycoplasmas present, the presence of any other potentially pathogenic microorganisms and any other relevant information before the role of the mycoplasma can be assessed and a diagnosis of mycoplasma infection given.