Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis)

Mycoplasma bovis is a wall-less, host-specific bacterium—one of over 120 species in the genus *Mycoplasma*—and the smallest self-replicating prokaryote known[3][9]. It lacks a cell wall (conferring intrinsic resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics), is anaerobic, and primarily affects cattle, causing respiratory, mammary, joint, ocular, and reproductive tract disease, as well as systemic infection in bison and pronghorn[1][3][5][7]. Not all infected animals show symptoms, enabling asymptomatic transmission. M. bovis is notable for its ability to evade the host immune system, induce inflammatory damage, and persist chronically. Clinical disease includes mastitis (with protein and ion disruption in milk), bronchopneumonia (with fever, cough, respiratory distress), and arthritis. Its pathogenesis involves induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, immune suppression (including T-cell exhaustion and apoptosis), antigenic variation, and resistance to phagocytosis[1][10]. Diagnosis is by culture, PCR, serology, or mass spectrometry[5][8]. Treatment is hampered by rapid and widespread antimicrobial resistance, and vaccine development is ongoing[2][4][6].

Other names

M. bovisMycoplasma bovis PG45Bovine mycoplasma

Antimicrobial drugs: inhibition of protein synthesis (macrolides, tetracyclines), DNA synthesis (fluoroquinolones), cell metabolism (pleuromutilins) Vaccines: induction of host humoral and cellular immunity against surface antigens