Is mycoplasma still a problem on California dairies?
A recent retrospective six-year survey (1989-1995) of dairies shipping milk to a central valley California creamery found that between 1.8% and 5.8% of the bulk tank milk samples contained mycoplasma. When only the pathogenic mycoplasma were considered, the yearly percentage ranged from 1.2% to 3.1%. Mycoplasma bovis was the most common isolate and was most likely to be isolated multiple times on a single dairy. Acholeplasma laidlawii, a non-pathogen, was frequently isolated in small numbers. Direct culture was used by the creamery and speciation was done at the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center, Milk Quality Laboratory.
