Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Mycoplasma mycoides Subspecie mycoides in 3 Agro Ecological Zones of Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia is a disease caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecie mycoides, a transboundary animal disease causing serious devastation to cattle producers in Africa. The study was designed to identify and characterize the pathogenic member of mycoplasma cluster the Mycoplasma mycoides subspecie mycoides (Mmm) isolated from cattle infected with the disease. Three hundred (300) samples of nasal swabs and pleural fluid from cattle showing signs of CBPP were analyzed using culture and biochemical identification techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers to determine the prevalence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Isolation recorded a prevalence of 4% and PCR recorded a prevalence of 67.7%. Isolates subjected to PCR analysis produced an amplicon size of 548 bp and 1.1 k bp respectively for the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster and Mycoplasma mycoides subspecie mycoides. Sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene blast search revealed 96% to 99% sequence homology of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecie mycoides compared with 14 available sequences in the gen bank at NCBI. Based on this investigation mass vaccination of cattle is recommended, isolation and PCR techniques could be used as diagnostic tools for CBPP disease in three agro ecological zones of Nasarawa state, Nigeria.