Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs
Abstract M. ovipneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen that can cause mild to moderate pneumonia and reduced productivity in domestic lambs. However, studies on both natural and experimental M. ovipneumoniae infection have reported highly variable clinical signs and pathology. Here, we assessed the imp...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-024-01439-y |
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| author | Bryan Tegner Jacobson Jessica DeWit-Dibbert LaShae Zanca Sobha Sonar Carol Hardy Michael Throolin Patricia C. Brewster Kaitlyn Andujo Kerri Jones Jonathon Sago Stephen Smith Lizabeth Bowen Diane Bimczok |
| author_facet | Bryan Tegner Jacobson Jessica DeWit-Dibbert LaShae Zanca Sobha Sonar Carol Hardy Michael Throolin Patricia C. Brewster Kaitlyn Andujo Kerri Jones Jonathon Sago Stephen Smith Lizabeth Bowen Diane Bimczok |
| author_sort | Bryan Tegner Jacobson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract M. ovipneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen that can cause mild to moderate pneumonia and reduced productivity in domestic lambs. However, studies on both natural and experimental M. ovipneumoniae infection have reported highly variable clinical signs and pathology. Here, we assessed the impact of administering M. ovipneumoniae to the upper respiratory tract (URT) or to the lower respiratory tract (LRT) of two-month-old specific pathogen-free lambs. Lambs were inoculated with PBS (control) or with ceftiofur-treated nasal wash fluid obtained from sheep with natural M. ovipneumoniae infection, monitored for eight weeks, and subsequently euthanized. All lambs in the URT and LRT groups developed a stable infection with M. ovipneumoniae. M. ovipneumoniae infection led to lower weight gains and mild respiratory disease, with significantly greater effects following LRT inoculation compared to URT inoculation. At necropsy, lambs inoculated via the LRT showed consolidation of the cranial lung lobes. In addition, histological signs of alveolar, bronchiolar, and interstitial inflammation were significantly more severe in the LRT compared to the URT group. M. ovipneumoniae loads in the trachea and bronchi also were significantly higher after LRT than URT inoculation. Interestingly, 9/10 inoculated lambs also tested positive for M. haemolytica in nasal swab but not in bronchial swab samples. In summary, our study suggests that bypassing protective mechanisms of the URT by delivering respiratory pathogens to the LRT leads to more severe respiratory disease and lung damage than delivery to the URT. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6bed81d3c1c646c388334ca60af3fe20 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1297-9716 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-6bed81d3c1c646c388334ca60af3fe202025-01-19T12:35:08ZengBMCVeterinary Research1297-97162025-01-0156111710.1186/s13567-024-01439-yPathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambsBryan Tegner Jacobson0Jessica DeWit-Dibbert1LaShae Zanca2Sobha Sonar3Carol Hardy4Michael Throolin5Patricia C. Brewster6Kaitlyn Andujo7Kerri Jones8Jonathon Sago9Stephen Smith10Lizabeth Bowen11Diane Bimczok12Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityAnatomic and Clinical Pathology, Histology, and Milk Laboratory, Montana Veterinary Diagnostic LaboratoryAnatomic and Clinical Pathology, Histology, and Milk Laboratory, Montana Veterinary Diagnostic LaboratoryUnited States Geological Survey, Davis Field Station, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityAbstract M. ovipneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen that can cause mild to moderate pneumonia and reduced productivity in domestic lambs. However, studies on both natural and experimental M. ovipneumoniae infection have reported highly variable clinical signs and pathology. Here, we assessed the impact of administering M. ovipneumoniae to the upper respiratory tract (URT) or to the lower respiratory tract (LRT) of two-month-old specific pathogen-free lambs. Lambs were inoculated with PBS (control) or with ceftiofur-treated nasal wash fluid obtained from sheep with natural M. ovipneumoniae infection, monitored for eight weeks, and subsequently euthanized. All lambs in the URT and LRT groups developed a stable infection with M. ovipneumoniae. M. ovipneumoniae infection led to lower weight gains and mild respiratory disease, with significantly greater effects following LRT inoculation compared to URT inoculation. At necropsy, lambs inoculated via the LRT showed consolidation of the cranial lung lobes. In addition, histological signs of alveolar, bronchiolar, and interstitial inflammation were significantly more severe in the LRT compared to the URT group. M. ovipneumoniae loads in the trachea and bronchi also were significantly higher after LRT than URT inoculation. Interestingly, 9/10 inoculated lambs also tested positive for M. haemolytica in nasal swab but not in bronchial swab samples. In summary, our study suggests that bypassing protective mechanisms of the URT by delivering respiratory pathogens to the LRT leads to more severe respiratory disease and lung damage than delivery to the URT.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-024-01439-yMycoplasma ovipneumoniaesheeppneumoniadelivery route |
| spellingShingle | Bryan Tegner Jacobson Jessica DeWit-Dibbert LaShae Zanca Sobha Sonar Carol Hardy Michael Throolin Patricia C. Brewster Kaitlyn Andujo Kerri Jones Jonathon Sago Stephen Smith Lizabeth Bowen Diane Bimczok Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs Veterinary Research Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae sheep pneumonia delivery route |
| title | Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| title_full | Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| title_fullStr | Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| title_short | Pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| title_sort | pathogen delivery route impacts disease severity in experimental mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection of domestic lambs |
| topic | Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae sheep pneumonia delivery route |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-024-01439-y |
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