Mycoplasmas and mites in the ears of clinically normal goats

Mycoplasmas were detected in the external ear canal of goats by swabbing and culture. Up to 10(8) colony forming units were recovered from single swabs. The resulting cultures were usually mixtures of mycoplasmas containing up to 5 species. The species present in sequential swabs varied. Pathogenic species (M.agalactiae, M.capricolum, M.mycoides subsp. capri, M.mycoides subsp. mycoides of the large colony (LC) type, M.putrefaciens) were isolated from the ears and in addition 3 untyped mycoplasmas G, U and V were often present. The same mycoplasmas were found in large numbers in the mites Psoroptes cuniculi and Raillietia caprae which were sometimes present in the external ear canal. The role of the mycoplasmas in the external ear canal as a source of infection and disease and of the mites in the spread of infection requires further elucidation.