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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426436
Research Project: Host-pathogen Interactions and Control Strategies for Bacterial Respiratory Pathogens in Cattle

Location: Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research

Title: Evaluation of a P48 ELISA for Mycoplasma bovis in North American bison (Bison bison): inferior performance compared to a commercially available ELISA

Author
item KRUS, CATHERINE - Colorado State University
item NEHRING, MARY - Colorado State University
item Kaplan, Bryan
item MAYO, CHRISTIE - Colorado State University
item MAICHAK, COURNEY - Colorado State University
item JONES, LEE - Us Fish And Wildlife Service
item VANDEWOUDE, SUE - Colorado State University
item BUTTKE, DANIELLE - Us National Park Service

Submitted to: BMC Veterinary Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/3/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) causes severe respiratory disease in American bison (Bison bison). Effective diagnostic assays are critical for effective management of the disease and there are currently no commercially available diagnostic assays validated for use with bison samples. In this study, we evaluated a novel ELISA assay to detect M. bovis antibodies in serum samples from bison. The assay utilizes the M. bovis P48 protein as a target for detection of antibodies against M. bovis. We compared the P48 ELISA to currently available ELISA kits developed for use with cattle samples. In our study, the commercial ELISA kit performed better than the P48 ELISA, having both improved sensitivity and specificity. Further research on M. bovis protein that provide superior results in serological diagnostic assays with bison samples is urgently needed.

Technical Abstract: Mycoplasma bovis is a significant pathogen in North American bison (Bison bison), causing severe disease with high morbidity and mortality. Effective serological diagnostics are essential for the surveillance and management of disease, yet commercially available ELISAs for M. bovis have only been developed for use in cattle and have not been validated in bison. In this study we evaluated a P48-based indirect ELISA for M. bovis detection and compared its diagnostic performance to a commercially available ELISA developed for use in cattle. Serum samples from bison were tested using both assays, and diagnostic metrics were assessed in comparison to infection status as confirmed by PCR and/or culture. The commercial ELISA demonstrated superior sensitivity (77.8%) and specificity (98.0%) compared to the P48 ELISA (63.9% sensitivity, 94.9% specificity). Combining both ELISAs slightly improved sensitivity (83.3%) but did not significantly enhance overall diagnostic performance. Both the P48 and commercial ELISAs also exhibited cross-reactivity with other Mycoplasma species. We identify significant challenges in serological diagnostics of M. bovis in bison with implications for interpretation of previous serological studies. Future research should focus on multiple immunogenic targets to enhance sensitivity and specificity for M. bovis serological surveillance.