Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R B Truscott.
From 1979 to 1984 approximately 2950 unprocessed frozen semen samples from nine Canadian artificial insemination centres were cultured for Mycoplasma bovis. M bovis was not detected in any of them.
The flurofamide sensitivities of 21 bovine ureaplasma isolates were determined using the metabolic inhibition method. The 21 isolates included seven each of vaginal, preputial and seminal origin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of flurofamide ranged from 0.0125 to 0.2 meg/mL against a ureaplasma titer of 10(4) organisms/mL. The minimum lethal concentrations ranged from less than or equal to 0.1 to 3.2 mcg/mL. Flurofamide was then evaluated in a system comparable to the procedure for semen extension with respect to temperature, time and dilution. The compound was found to be ineffective in reducing ureaplasma numbers in this system at levels up to 1500 mcg/mL.
Six cesarean-derived lambs were inoculated either with 4.5 X 10(4), 4.5 X 10(6) or 4.5 X 10(8) Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides intratracheally. One animal receiving the intermediate dose died four days post-inoculation, the two receiving the high dose died six days postinoculation, while one receiving the low dose died eight days postinoculation. The two surviving lambs were challenged on day 20 postinoculation with 1 X 10(8) organisms subcutaneously and 2 X 10(9) organisms intravenously. One animal died eight days following this challenge while the other survived and was killed. Six conventionally reared lambs challenged with 90 to 8500 organisms by intranasal and intraocular instillation failed to become infected. Three conventionally reared calves were each inoculated with 1 X 10(8) organisms by each of intratracheal, subcutaneous and intravenous routes. They were killed 20 days post-inoculation without having shown any clinical signs.
A combination of lincomycin-spectinomycin-tylosin was tested against several strains of mycoplasmas and acholeplasmas as might be encountered in bovine semen and shown to be effective against them. This combination as well as minocin , rosaramicin, rosoxacin, tiamulin, gentamicin and declomycin were tested in vitro against 58 isolates of ureaplasma from the bovine urogenital tract. The lincomycin-spectinomycin-tylosin combination, minocin , rosaramicin, tiamulin and declomycin were quite active, while rosoxacin and gentamicin were much less active against the test strains.
Rosaramicin, an agent shown to be effective in vitro against ureaplasma of bovine origin was tested as an additive to bovine semen extender. Although some reduction in semen quality occurred it was still deemed satisfactory for use. In a test involving 41 cows inseminated once at estrus with rosaramicin-treated semen (162 mcg/mL) the nonreturn rate was 24% compared to a calculated average for this semen of 63% (n = 3310). The effect of centrifugation, time and temperature was examined in vitro using a combination of 150 mcg of lincomycin, 300 mcg of spectinomycin and 450 mcg of tylosin against ten strains of bovine ureaplasma. This combination has ureaplasmacidal activity and is suggested as an additive to semen extenders for the control of ureaplasma.
One hundred and thirty-one ureaplasma isolates were tested using the immunoperoxidase system. Thirty-four were from semen, 34 from preputial washes of normal bulls and 63 were from vaginal swabs from herds experiencing infertility problems and/or vulvovaginitis. The serotypes from semen were T44 (12.1%), Bu2 (11.2%), D48 (2.8%), T315 (0.9%) and T288 (0.9%). Those from preputial washes were T44 (9.3%), Bu2 (8.4%), T288 (7.5%), D48 (0.9%) and T95 (0.9%). From vaginal swabs the serotypes were D48 (22.4%), Bu2 (10.3%), T45 (4.7%), T288 (3.8%) and T315 (1.9%).
Twenty duplicate cloacal swabs and the intestines of 98 broilers were cultured using Rappaport-Vassiliadis and tetrathionate as enrichment broths. These were plated to brilliant green and modified dulcitol brilliant green agars at one, two and seven days. Salmonellae were recovered with greater frequency from tetrathionate plated to modified dulcitol brilliant green than the other combinations.
A comparison of the in vitro activity of rosaramicin and minocin against 52 bovine Ureaplasma sp. strains, 20 of which were isolated from semen, 23 from vaginal swabs, and nine from preputial washings, has shown that both antibiotics have good inhibitory action against the strains tested. Rosaramicin was ureaplasmacidal in most instances at, or close to the inhibitory level while for most strains studied a ureaplasmacidal level of minocin was not found.
Intravenous injection of Mycoplasma bovis produced in calves arthritis with synovial infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils. Necrosis was observed focally around blood vessels. Joint spaces contained fibrinopurulent exudate. Parenterally vaccinated calves had a markedly reduced frequency of arthritic joints. Immunoglobulin classes and specific antibody in joint fluids were quantitatively less than in sera but significantly greater in arthritic than in normal joints. The possible mechanisms of induction of joint fluid antibody are discussed.
A brief definition and classification of the organisms is followed by a history of their isolation and general role in disease. Diseases associated with various types of mycoplasma are discussed under respiratory tract, mastitis, arthritis and keratoconjunctivitis. Descriptions include methods of infection, clinical signs, lesions and prognosis.
Minocin at 500 micrograms/ml of semen extender eliminated ureaplasma from naturally or artificially infected bovine semen. Minocin with lincospectin eliminated Acholeplasma laidlawii, Mycoplasma bovigenitalium, bovis, canadense, and arginini from artificially infected semen. Stabilization times of 15 min at 35 C and 3 h at 4 C are important considerations to maximize antibiotic activity.
A change in ration from one containing 50% fish meal to a standard chick starter containing 10(8) Clostridium perfringens/g of feed resulted in the production of necrotic enteritis in 2-week-old broiler chicks. Lincomycin added to the inoculated ration at a concentration of 20 g/907.2 kg significantly reduced mortality in the chicks. Inoculation of broth cultures of C perfringens directly into the duodenum, using a surgically inserted tetrafluoroethylene resin tube, indicated a relationship existed between the number of C perfringens inoculated and the gross lesions. The disease could be consistently produced by this technique.
Erysipelas was diagnosed in chukar partridges (Alectoris graeca) kept as hunting stock. Mortality was 265 of 500 (53%) over a period of one week.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG324), a tylosin resistant strain of low virulence, was compared with four other strains with respect to their survival at temperatures from 46.1 to 48.9 degrees C. MG324 was found to be more resistant than the other strains tested.
Lesions typical of necrotic enteritis could be produced experimentally in from 11-26% of broiler chickens consuming feed containing approximately 10(7) Clostridium perfringens per gram. Highest mortality was produced using isolates from field cases of necrotic enteritis which were reisolated from experimental cases in the laboratory. Penicillin in the drinking water at 100,000 I.U./litre completely prevented mortality whereas chloramphenicol at 110 mg/litre delayed the onset and reduced the number of deaths compared to controls.
One hundred and thirty-two penial-preputial swabbings, 140 raw and 42 processed semen samples were cultured for mycoplasmas. Mycoplasma or acholeplasma were recovered from 87, 32 and one respectively, while ureaplasmas were recovered from 46, 34 and six respectively.
Lincomycin-spectinomycin, while effective in eliminating Mycoplasma gallisepticum from hatching eggs when administered via the yolk sac, had a marked deleterious effect on hatch-ability when given by this route. On the other hand when lincomycin-spectinomycin was injected into the air cell there was a reduction in the level of experimental infection with an acceptable effect on hatchability.
The in vitro antimicrobial sensitivity of 14 mycoplasma and 13 ureaplasma strains isolated from the genital tracts of bulls was examined. It was found that at relatively low concentrations, tetracycline, declomycin and tylosin were lethal to both types of organisms. Lincospectin, berenil, streptomycin and erythromycin were lethal to mycoplasmas but were only inhibitory to the ureaplasma strains at the same concentrations. Polymyxin B and novobiocin were ineffective at the levels tested.