Mycoplasma bovis arthritis as a sequel to respiratory disease in bought-inweanling cattle in the Republic of Ireland

Mycoplasma bovis arthritis was diagnosed in two herds in the Republic of Ir eland in 1998. Between 22 and 30 per cent of weanling cattle that were intr oduced into the two herds developed respiratory disease within two weeks of purchase. Over the following weeks, lameness, presenting as stiffness in m ovement and/or swelling of joints, affected nine (5.3 per cent) of 170 wean lings in one herd and ten (11.1 per cent) of 90 weanling cattle in the seco nd herd. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated and identified by enrichment and capture ELIS A from both nasal swabs and aspirates of joint fluid collected from affecte d animals in each herd. Although most of the arthritic animals did not resp ond to antibiotic therapy immediately, seven of nine affected animals in on e herd and four of ten affected animals in the second herd recovered eventu ally. Some individual animals in each herd failed to recover and were culle d.