Associating Lameness in Swine with the Presence of Mycoplasma Hyosynoviae and Mycoplasma Hyorhinis in Oral Fluids

Abstract

Mycoplasma hyorhinis and M. hyosynoviae have both been associated with causing lameness in growing pigs. The most common method of detecting these bacteria is through sampling oral fluids via cotton rope. The oral fluids can be subjected to real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to determine both the genetic material of the bacteria and provide a potential measure of the bacterial load. This study tested the oral fluids of 17 farms across Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Mycoplasma hyorhinis was detected on 94.14% of the farms, while 52.94% of farms were positive for M. hyosynoviae. The pigs were also scored on a scale of 0 - 4 for lameness. The lameness scores were compared to the Ct values returned from the real-time PCR. Mycoplasma hyosynoviae was shown to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with lameness in pigs, while M. hyorhinis was not (p=.274). The relationship of age of pigs and Ct values of M. hyosynoviae, and therefore lameness, was also evaluated. Data supported older pigs being more at risk to develop M. hyosynoviae-associated lameness. This impacts the diagnosis process of producers and veterinarians, as M. hyorhinis should not be included in the tests run on oral fluids of lame pigs.