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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351944
Research Project: Identification of Host Factors and Immunopathogenesis of Pneumonia in Domestic and Bighorn Sheep

Location: Animal Disease Research

Title: Identification of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in wildlife species beyond the subfamily caprinae

Author
item Highland, Margaret
item Herndon, David
item BENDER, SCOTT - Navajo Technical University
item HANSEN, LISA - Barron Veterinary Clinic, Ltd
item GERLACH, ROBERT - Alaska Department Of Environmental Conservation
item BECKMAN, KIMBERLEE - Alaska Department Of Fish And Game

Submitted to: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2018
Publication Date: 12/1/2018
Citation: Highland, M.A., Herndon, D.R., Bender, S., Hansen, L., Gerlach, R.F., Beckman, K.B. 2018. Identification of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in wildlife species beyond the subfamily caprinae. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 24(12):2384-2386. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2412.180632.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2412.180632

Interpretive Summary: This is the first report of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae carriage in multiple members of the subfamily Capreolinae (moose, caribou, and mule deer) and an American bison. This is also the first report describing M. ovipneumoniae in white-tailed deer, in which it was associated with a pneumonia outbreak at a captive facility. These findings are of importance to understanding the true host range of this bacterium, as current dogma implies this bacterium is only carried by, or only causes disease in, members of the Caprinae subfamily (sheep, goats, and muskox). This belief regarding host specificity may dissuade laboratories from pursuing identification of this difficult to culture bacterium in hosts outside of the subfamily Caprinae. Additionally, M. ovipneumoniae is currently under great scrutiny due to evidence supporting an association between this bacterium and the long debated complex disease phenomenon of bighorn sheep pneumonia in western North America. The findings reported in this manuscript hold great importance to understanding the true host range, and therefore possible transmission sources, of this bacterium.

Technical Abstract: Elucidating the emergence of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae-associated respiratory disease in ruminants requires identification of pathogen host range. Preliminarily concluded to be host restricted to Caprinae species, we describe for the first time identification of this bacterium in moose, caribou, a bison, mule deer, and diseased white-tailed deer. These findings are of importance to epidemiological investigations, as current dogma regarding host specificity may dissuade laboratories from pursuing identification of this fastidious bacterium in hosts outside of the subfamily Caprinae. Improved culture methods to increase detection sensitivity are warranted based on information provided in this report. Full-length genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of M. ovipneumoniae isolates from multiple host species are necessary next steps in understanding the evolutionary history of this bacterium.