In vitro susceptibilities of field isolates of Mycoplasma agalactiae to oxytetracycline, tylosin, enrofloxacin, spiramycin and lincomycin-spectinomycin.

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of tetracycline, enrofloxacin, tylosin, spiramycin and a lincomycin:spectinomycin 1:2 combination, against 24 Sicilian isolates of Mycoplasma agalactiae, the causative organism of contagious agalactia were determined in vitro by a broth dilution method. Enrofloxacin was the most effective antimicrobial in vitro with a range of MIC values from 0.125 to 0.500 microg/ml and an MIC(50) of 0.203 and MIC(90) of 0.365 microg/ml. Using the MIC(50) and MIC(90) values the remaining four antimicrobials are ranked in order of in vitro effectiveness as follows: tylosin (MIC(50)0.292; MIC(90)0.525 microg/ml) was slightly more effective than tetracycline (MIC(50)0.296; MIC(90)0.533 microg/ml), followed by lincomycin:spectinomycin (MIC(50)0.521; MIC(90)0.938 microg/ml) and spiramycin (MIC(50)1.583; MIC(90)2.850 microg/ml). MIC values above 1.000 microg/ml were obtained using tetracycline, tylosin and spiramycin for some M. agalactiae isolates.