Serological Survey of Contagious Agalactia Caused by <em>Mycoplasma agalactiae</em> in Small Ruminants in Mali

Abstract

A serological survey to detect specific antibodies to contagious agalactia caused by Mycoplasma agalactiae in small ruminants was carried out in several areas of Mali by using an indirect ELISA test. A total of 396 sera, of which 319 were from goats and 77 from sheep, were collected from different regions in Mali. Results showed an 8.3% (33/396) prevalence rate. The distribution varied depending on the herd and reached 37.5%. The distribution of positive sera among the flocks at risk showed a higher percentage (60.6% or 20/33) in flocks with a pathological history of respiratory conditions associated with lactation problems than in healthy flocks (9.1%, 3/33) and in flocks with unknown history (30.3%, 10/33). Since vaccination against contagious agalactia in small ruminants is not performed in Mali, these results certainly reflect the presence of the infection and show the need to carry out microbiological surveys to isolate the Mycoplasma species involved, so that the epidemiology can be specified.

Keywords

• Ovin
• Caprin
• Mycoplasma agalactiae
• Agalaxie
• Test Elisa
• Mali