Interaction of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida infections in swine

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1994 Jan 1;204(1):102-7.

Abstract

To investigate the interaction between Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida infection, 32 pigs were randomly assigned by litter, sex, and weight to 4 treatment groups. Group-1 pigs were inoculated with M hyopneumoniae and allowed to recover from M hyopneumoniae infection. Group-2 pigs were vaccinated against M hyopneumoniae and then inoculated with M hyopneumoniae. Group-3 pigs were inoculated with M hyopneumoniae and developed clinical signs of mycoplasmosis. Group-4 pigs had never been exposed to M hyopneumoniae. All pigs were initially seronegative for M hyopneumoniae. All pigs were subsequently inoculated with P multocida and euthanatized 2 weeks later. Pasteurella multocida was isolated only from the lungs of group-3 pigs, and these pigs had a significantly higher median percentage of lung surface area affected by pneumonia than did pigs in the other groups. For group-3 pigs, percentage of lung surface area affected by pneumonia was positively correlated with the number of P multocida colonies isolated. We concluded that P multocida is not a primary respiratory pathogen in pigs, but that M hyopneumoniae infection can render the lungs susceptible to P multocida colonization and infection. Pigs recovered from or vaccinated against infection with M hyopneumoniae were resistant to P multocida infection.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Mycoplasma / immunology
  • Pasteurella Infections / etiology
  • Pasteurella Infections / immunology
  • Pasteurella Infections / veterinary*
  • Pasteurella multocida* / immunology
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / complications
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / immunology
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / veterinary*
  • Random Allocation
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases* / etiology
  • Swine Diseases* / immunology
  • Vaccination / veterinary