In this concise and straight-forward review for The Veterinary journal, Dr. Garcia-Morante in collaboration with the MycoLab at the UMN shares the latest knowledge around Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection and what the best practices for diagnosis are. The full article is available on the journal’s website.
Highlights
- This review updates M. hyopneumoniae infection diagnosis and dynamics.
- Understanding M. hyopneumoniae infection dynamics is critical for diagnosis.
- Final diagnosis is based on clinical observations aligned with laboratory results.
- Laboratory tests are useful for detection of asymptomatic carriers.
Abstract
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae remains one of the most problematic bacterial pathogens for pig production. Despite an abundance of observational and laboratory testing capabilities for this organism, diagnostic interpretation of test results can be challenging and ambiguous. This is partly explained by the chronic nature of M. hyopneumoniae infection and its tropism for lower respiratory tract epithelium, which affects diagnostic sensitivities associated with sampling location and stage of infection. A thorough knowledge of the available tools for routine M. hyopneumoniae diagnostic testing, together with a detailed understanding of infection dynamics, are essential for optimizing sampling strategies and providing confidence in the diagnostic process. This study reviewed known information on sampling and diagnostic tools for M. hyopneumoniae and summarized literature reports of the dynamics of key infection outcomes, including clinical signs, lung lesions, pathogen detection, and humoral immune responses. The information gathethered in this manuscript can facilitate better understanding of the performance of different diagnostic approaches at various stages of infection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.