Mycoplasmosis in cattle, sheep and goats

Nineteen species or subspecies of mycoplasma infect cattle and 17 species or subspecies infect sheep and goats; of these only three are common to both groups of animals. Diseases associated with mycoplasmas are found in the respiratory and urogenital tracts, mammary glands, joints and eyes. Some of these species of mycoplasma are highly pathogenic, causing diseases of major importance, namely, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and contagious agalactia. This paper, however, will principally consider the roles, if any, of the various other species of mycoplasma in diseases of cattle, sheep and goats.