CLINICAL STUDIES ON MASTITIC BUFFALOES NATURALLY INFECTED WITH MYCOPLASMA BOVIGENITALIUM IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE - EGYPT

Over two years investigations (Jan., 1991-Feb., 1993), of 996 dairy buffaloes were examined clinically for mastitis, 51 cases showed signs of mastitis in one or two quarters. Of fifty one clinical mastitic buffaloes, twenty two cases were resistant to antibiotics therapy. Twelve of drug resistant mastitic buffaloes had non painful swellings quarters with exception of one case showed signs of firmness and pain in one swelled quarter. These painless swellings were observed in the upper parts of the affected quarters rather than the teats in seven cases. Concerning the rest cases (5), the whole quarters including the teats were swollen. By posterior inspection, the affected quarter appeared like the "inverted pyramid" in shape. Neither supramammary lymph nodes involvement nor systemic illness were noticed in these cases. The affected quarters yielded whitish (some exceptions were reported due to the involvement of pyogenic microorganisms) odorless milk secretion with macroscopical changes. Of these twelve buffaloes, Mycop < /em>lasma bovigenitalium (M. bovigenitalium) was isolated from nine cases. Shedding of M. bovigenitalium was intermittent. The remainder cases (3 of 12) showed clinical signs fairly similar to M. bovigenitalium mastitic buffaloes but no mycoplasma or other significant pathogens could be isolated. Of M. bovigenitalium mastitic buffaloes, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) mixed with mycoplasma was isolated from a case which showed signs of firmness and pain in one swelled quarter. Detailed description on history and clinical signs of mycoplasma mastitic cases was described, and on other microorganisms associated with M. bovigenitalium was tabulated. In vitro, both chloramphenicol and thiamphenicol had strong inhibitory effect on all isolated mycoplasma strains. Contrariwise, penicillins analogous and cephalosporins groups were inffective. 77.78% of tested mycoplasma strains were oxytetracycline resistant. Therapeutic trial with thiamphenicol was
carried out on three mycoplasma mastitic buffaloes without successful response, and mycoplasma organism was re-isolated from milk of these cases after two weeks of treatment. On the other side, three cases of twenty two drug resistant mastitic buffaloes were suffered from signs of suppurative mastitis where Actinomyces (Corynebacterium) p < /em>yogens (A. p < /em>yogens) coupled with other organisms were isolated. The other cases of these drug resistant mastitic buffaloes showed signs of subacute purulent mastitis where Stap < /em>hylococcus aureus was isolated.