MYCOPLASMAS ASSOCIATED WITH BOVINE CONJUNCTIVITIS AND KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS

In two separate herds of fattening calves a sudden-onset outbreak of o cular disease with profuse lacrimation occurred. The disease resembled the early stage of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis but after a few days the clinical signs of bronchopneumonia appeared. From conjun ctival swabs Mycoplasma (M.) bovigenitalium, M. bovirhinis and infecti ous bovine rhinotracheitis (LBR) virus were isolated. Moraxella bovis infection was not established. In one of the herds M. bovigenitalium w as also found in the pneumonic lungs of dead calves. In one herd M. bo voculi was isolated from a cow with chronic keratoconjunctivitis, hous ed together with affected calves. Mycoplasmas were not isolated from o cular swabs of six bulls originating from a Reproductive Centre with t emporary occurrence of unilateral serous conjunctivitis resistant to a ntibiotic therapy.