Studies on virulence and antimicrobial resistance of Mycoplasma species recovered from Camel

Abstract

Camel is an economically important farm animal used for meat, milk and hair production in the Middle-East and North Africa. Camel is a multi-purpose animal with a huge productive potential and the most suitable domestic animal for use in climatic extremes. The world's camel population of about 28 million heads, 80% of them lives in Africa, with 60% in the Horn of Africa and Arabian camels (Dromedaries) constitute 94% of the world's camel population (FAOSTAT,2014). Camels, compared to other livestock in the same locations, have been reported to be less susceptible to many diseases such Mycoplasmosis in camels.

Mollicutes comprise a group of wall-less prokaryotes and are among the smallest self-replicating organisms. Mycoplasmas, belongs to class Mollicutes, in which Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma genera are included. Acholeplasma has no known clear role in the disease occurrence. Mycoplasma, under certain conditions, solely or with bacteria and/or viruses, may cause health disorders such as pneumonia.

Mycoplasmas are highly contagious organism capable of auto-replication and difficult to culture and slow growing. It is considered healthy herdas highly contagious organism.

This study was carried out of 460 samples obtained from apparently healthy (n=250) and diseased Camels (n=210). 26.3 % (121/460) of samples were positive to the primary isolation of Mollicutes. Recovery rate of Mycoplasma was 13.2% (61/460) isolated from diseased slaughtered Camels. Isolation of Mycoplasma spp. was more prevalent in diseased slaughtered animals than apparently healthy ones. Biochemical and molecular identification (PCR) of Mycoplasma isolates. it showed that 21.31 % (13/61) were M. bovis and 78.68 % (48/61) were M. arginine. On performing phenotypic characterization of isolates Mycoplasma bovis isolates show high resistance to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin in percentage of 100% & 76.9% respectively. Mycoplasma arginini show high resistance to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, doxycycline and lincomycin in percentage 83.3%, 79.2%, 64.6% and 58.3% respectively. 20% of M. bovis and 19% of M. arginini isolates showed catalase activity. 100% M. bovis and M. arginini isolates have haemolytic activity and H2S producers.