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PATHOGEN SAFETY DATA SHEET

Contagious Agalactia Mycoplasmas

SECTION I: DISEASE / INFECTIOUS AGENT

SYNONYM / CROSS REFERENCE: CA ⁽¹⁾

ETIOLOGY / TAXONOMY: ^(2,3,4)
Family: Mycoplasmataceae
Genus: Mycoplasma
Species: Mycoplasma agalactiae, M. capricolum subsp. capricolum, M. putrefaciens, M. mycoides subsp. mycoides Large Colony Type (LC)

Typically, Contagious agalactia is caused by infection with Mycoplasma agalactiae; however, very similar symptoms occur with the above mentioned species also. Some authorities consider infections with all of these agents to be contagious agalactia, other prefer to reserve the term for infections with M. agalactiae. M. mycoides subsp. capri can sometimes cause a similar syndrome.

ORGANISM CHARACTERISTICS: ^(2,3)

• Highly pleomorphic, ß-lactam, antibiotic resistant aerobic bacteria
• Smallest free living cell, colonies range from 15 to 300 µm in diameter
• Trilayered cell membrane, no cell wall
• Exist in small coccoid form, larger swollen forms, or filamentous forms of variable lengths, often branched

SURVEILLANCE:

Contagious agalactia is an immediately notifiable disease in Canada. Animal owners, veterinarians and laboratories are required to immediately report the presence of an animal that is contaminated or suspected of being contaminated to a CFIA district veterinarian. Control or eradication measures will be applied immediately (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/H-3.3/fulltoc.html).

DISTRIBUTION:
The status of Contagious agalactia in Canada is non-indigenous:

• Important disease in the former Soviet Union, India, Pakistan, the Near East, and in the Mediterranean region of Europe, Asia, and North Africa
• Observed in South America, South Africa, Australia, and the United States

SECTION II: ANIMAL HEALTH HAZARD AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

CLINICAL DISEASE / PATHOGENESIS:

Contagious agalactia appears at or shortly after parturition ⁽⁶⁾. The microorganism can be present in both male and female animals and can cause a range of inapparent, mild, acute or chronic disease manifestations ⁽¹⁾.

1) Clinical signs: ^(4,7)

• Acute cases begin with a transient fever followed by malaise, poor appetite and mastitis
• Udder is hot and swollen; one or both glands affected
• Milk is greenish-yellow or grayish-blue; consistency is watery at first, then lumpy
• Lactation diminishes and may completely stop
• Udder eventually atrophies and becomes flabby and fibrosed
• Polyarthritis, lameness, and swelling of the tarsal and carpal joint; unable to stand or walk
• Keratoconjunctivitis; temporary but can result in blindness in one or both eyes
• Bacteremia is common
• Abortions in pregnant animals; kids are more susceptible and may develop pneumonia
• Granular vulvovaginosis in goats

2) Infectious dose: Unknown

3) Incubation period:

• Varies between 7 and 56 days ^(1,4)

SOURCE / MODE OF TRANSMISSION / COMMUNICABILITY ^(1,4):

• Animals shed the organism in urine, feces and secretions including milk
• Organism can survive in the supramammary lymph nodes
• Asymptomatic or chronically infected carriers may be infectious for months
• Ingestion of contaminated milk, directly or in feed or water
• Ingestion of mycoplasmas from urine, feces, nasal, or ocular discharges, or inhalation of contaminated dust or microdroplets
• Transmission may also be by direct entry to the teat opening at milking
• Fomite transmission occurs

VECTORS:

• None

HOST RANGE:^(1,4)

• Sheep
• Goats

ZOONOTIC POTENTIAL:

• Contagious agalactia cannot be transmitted to humans ⁽⁴⁾

RESERVOIR:

• Chronically infected animals are carriers of the disease ^(4).

Section III: DIAGNOSIS

NECROPSY / HISTOPATHOLOGY FINDINGS:^(1,4)

• Female animals have catarrhal mastitis with primary inflammation of the interstitial tissues; if mastitis becomes chronic, fibrosis or parenchymatous atrophy may be seen
• Males and females with acute disease may have congestion of the musculature, spleen and liver
• Both acute and chronic manifestation may display arthritis with periarticular edema, especially affecting the carpal joints
• Synovial membrane may be hyperemic, joint cavities may contain hemorrhagic or turbid fluid
• Serous or mucopurulent conjunctivitis, as well as keratitis or corneal ulceration
• Pneumonia may be present, particularly in the case of infection with M. mycoides subsp. mycoides LC type and M. mycoides subsp. capri

SAMPLE SUBMISSION:

• Whole blood
• Serum
• Fixed and fresh tissues, including udder, lung and associated lymph nodes
• Bulk tank and individual milk samples
• Pleural fluid
• Joint fluid from arthritic animals
• Nasal swabs and secretions
• Eye swabs if keratitis is present
• Tonsillar crypts

Fresh samples should be transported at 4°C.

For more information regarding the type of samples necessary for Contagious agalactia diagnosis, please contact the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease:

LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS:^(1,8)

• Complement fixation test (CFT)
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• Immunoblotting test
• Indirect haemagglutination test
• Culture
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY:^(1,7)

• Antibiotics: tetracyclines, tylosin, erythromycin, and tyamulin fumarate
• Resistant to ß-Lactam antibiotics
• Recovery is unlikely in chronic cases
• Oxytetracycline does not prevent shedding of the organisms
• Live and inactivated vaccines prevent infection

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS:^(1,4)

The following diseases may show clinical similarity to Contagious agalactia:

• Pasteurella haemolytica infection
• Streptococcus spp. infection
• Staphylococcus spp. infection
• Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus
• Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection
• Other mycoplasma species infections

SECTION IV: DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES

Select a registered disinfectant with a drug identification number (DIN). Use according to label directions for concentration and contact time. Consider organic load and temperature. It is recommended that laboratories evaluate the effectiveness of the disinfectant using a validated method (eg. Quantitative Carrier Test). See table 1 to help select a registered disinfectant for use against Mycoplasma agalactiae.

Table 1: Active ingredients considered to be effective against Mycoplasma agalactiae.

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION:

• Inactivated at temperatures above 60°C⁽¹⁰⁾

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE OF HOST:⁽⁴⁾

• Usually thought to be fragile and short-lived in the environment
• Some reported to survive for long periods in the soil, dung, or secretions
• Survival is likely if the temperature is low

SECTION V: LABORATORY HAZARDS FOR HUMANS

LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS:

• None

BIOSAFETY PRECAUTIONS :

• None

SECTION VI: PHYSICAL AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS:

All physical containment and operational practices for containment level 3, as per the Containment Standards for Veterinary Facilities must be met. In addition, respiratory protection must be used when performing aerosol-prone procedures. The Standards can be accessed at : http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/sci/lab/convet/convete.shtml.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT :
Laboratory:

• Primary layer of protective clothing should include dedicated laboratory clothing (e.g. scrubs and headwear) and laboratory dedicated footwear.
• Secondary layer of protective clothing (e.g. solid-front gowns with tight-fitting wrists, 2 pairs of gloves) should be worn over laboratory clothing when directly handling infectious materials.
• Adequate respiratory protection should be worn when directly handling infectious material outside BSC.
• A shower is required on exit.

Post Mortem:

• Primary layer of protective clothing should include dedicated laboratory clothing (e.g. scrubs and headwear) and laboratory dedicated footwear.
• Secondary layer of protective clothing (e.g. solid-front gowns with tight-fitting wrists, 2 pairs of gloves) should be worn over laboratory clothing when directly handling infectious materials.
• Cut resistant gloves, adequate respiratory protection, steel toed/steel shanked rubber boots.
• A shower is required on exit.

HANDLING INFORMATION :
Spills in laboratory:
Spill protocol must be in place and include the following scenarios:

• Spills inside the Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)
• Spills outside the BSC
• Spills while performing aerosol generating procedures
• Also consider entry and exit procedure modifications if necessary, appropriate PPE, disinfection of spill and surroundings including contact time, flow (pattern) of the clean up and disposal of contaminated materials.

Refer to Table 1 for disinfectant selection.

STORAGE: All cultures and infected material should be stored in leakproof, sealed containers that are accurately labeled and clearly identified as a biohazard risk. The access to infectious material should be controlled at all times. Records must be kept to describe the use, inventory and disposal of infectious material.

DISPOSAL: Decontaminate all infectious material prior to disposal. Use steam sterilization, incineration or chemical disinfection.

REFERENCES:

1. Buisch W.W., Hyde J.L. & C.A. Mebus. Foreign Animal Diseases. Sixth Edition. American Public Health Association. 2000. Pages 147-53.
2. Murray PR, Baron EJ, Pfaller MA, et al. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. Seventh Edition. American Society for Microbiology. 1999. Pages 782-3.
3. Boone D.R., Castenholz R.W. & G.M. Garrity. Bergey’s Manual of Systemic Bacteriology. Second Edition. Volume One. The Archaea and the Deeply Branching and Phototrophic Bacteria. Springer-Verlag. New York. 2001. Page 162.
4. The Center for Food Security and Public Health. Contagious Agalactia Fact Sheet. Jun 3, 2003. http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/contagious_agalactia.pdf.
5. Madigan MT, Martinko JM, Parker J. Brock Biology of Microorganisms. Ninth Edition. Prentice-Hall, Inc. New Jersey. 2000. Page 514.
6. The Merck Veterinary Manual. Contagious Agalactia and other mycoplasmal Mastitides of small ruminants Fact Sheet. 2003: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/110600.htm&word=contagious%2cagalctia.
7. Radostits OM, Gay CC, Blood DC, and KW Hinchcliff. Veterinary Medicine, A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats and Horses. Ninth Edition. W.B. Saunders Company Ltd. 2000. Pages 1005-6.
8. Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, OIE World Organisation for Animal Health. Contagious Agalactia, updated 2004/07/23. http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mmanual/A_00070.htm.
9. Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan. Operational Procedures Manual: Decontamination. 2000. Pages 50-51.
10. de la Fe C, Assuncao P, Ramirez AS, et al. Inactivation of Mycoplasma species involved in contagious agalactia. Berln MunchTieraztl Wochenschr. 2004; 117(1-2): 1-5.

LAST UPDATED (DATE): 2005/11/07

PREPARED BY: The Biohazard Containment and Safety Unit, CFIA

Disclaimer: Although the information and recommendations in this Pathogen Safety Data Sheet are compiled from reliable sources, there is no guarantee, warranty or any assurance that the information and recommendations are correct, accurate, sufficient, reliable or current and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency shall not be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from or in connection with the use of or reliance upon the information and recommendations.

The user assumes all risks and responsibility for and shall be liable for the use of and any reliance on the information and recommendations and the results thereof and any loss or damage resulting therefrom.