Investigation of Mycoplasma Species in Diseased and Healthy Calves and Heifers in Al-Najaf Province, Iraq.

Mycoplasma infections are among the most common causes of eye infection in cattle worldwide. The purpose of this work was to use a DNA-based method to investigate the presence of Mycoplasma spp. in the conjunctival sac of diseased and healthy calves and heifers. Between May 2018 and August 2019, a total of 116 eye swab samples were taken from seven industrial dairy farms in Al- Najaf province, where 85 samples were collected from diseased animals and 31 from healthy animals. Concerning the PCR test, 6.4% and 28.2% were respectively positive for healthy and diseased animals. Conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis and corneal ulcers were reported in 52%, 31% and 17% of the diseased group, respectively. In conclusion, Mycoplasma spp. important bovine pathogen causing multiple eye lesions that can not be identified due to their asymptomatic nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]