Bacteriological, serological, pathological and immunohistochemical studies of Mycoplasma bovis respiratory infection in veal calves and adult cattle at slaughter

Mycoplasma bovis is an important cause of calf pneumonia worldwide. In this study, we examined 140 cattle at slaughter comprising 70 veal calves and 70 beef cattle; 115 animals with pneumonic lesions and 25 without. Lung samples were submitted for bacteriological, histological, and M. bovis-immunohistochemical analyses. Serology for M. bovis was positive in 76% of beef cattle and 100% of veal calves. M. bovis was isolated only from veal calves in 16 out of 64 pneumonic cases. M. bovis was detected by immunohistochemistry in seven bacteriologically positive cases. M. bovis antigen was associated with bronchogenic necrosuppurative or fibrinonecrotizing lesions. Bacteriologically positive and immunohistochemical negative cases were associated with catarrhal bronchointerstitial pneumonia. Results suggest that M. bovis infection may develop into a severe necrosuppurative bronchopneumonia or fibrinonecrotizing pneumonia when associated with a high number of intralesional organisms or, conversely, into a mild catarrhal bronchointerstitial pneumonia when associated with a low number of organisms.