Animal: 10 months old, female, Bovine (Bos Taurus), Limousin
History: Feedlot calves with severe dyspnea and sudden death.
Gross findings: Craneoventral areas of the lung were red, firm, and containing multiple, well demarcated white nodules of variably size; at cut section were compound by variably amounts of caseous necrosis.
Morphological diagnosis: Lung; Multifocal to coalescing necrotizing and suppurative bronchopneumonia, chronic, severe, with multiple hemorrhages.
Etiology/Cause: Mycoplasma bovis
Comments: The etiology in these case was confirmed by RT-PCR.
Mycoplasma bovis frequently affects the lungs of cattle, and its infection is exacerbated by stress or other factors (e.g. viral infection) that depresses the pulmonary defense mechanism1.
Mycoplasma bovis is also incriminated in arthritis, otitis, mastitis, abortion and keratoconjunctivitis1.
Picture and authored by: Marcelo de las Heras, Raúl Resendiz*, Ana Rodríguez, Ricardo de Miguel. Department of Animal Pathology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
References: Lopez A, Martinson SA. Respiratory system, mediastinum, and pleurae. In: Zachary JF,ed. Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. 6th ed. St Louis Missouri, USA: Elsevier; 2017: 471-559.
*rulirepo@gmail.com