Comparison of the prevalence of Mycoplasma species in dogs with and without respiratory disease.

Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of Mycoplasma species in dogs with and without signs of respiratory disease. Bronchoalveolarlavage fluid (BALF) and pharyngeal swabs were collected from 29 dogs with respiratory diseases (RD) and 16 dogs without signs of RD that were euthanised because of other diseases. Samples were tested for Mycoplasma species by PCR and culture, and sequencing was performed in Mycoplasma species-positive BALF samples. Pharyngeal swabs were positive for Mycoplasma species by PCR in 91.7% of dogs with RD and 86.7% of dogs without signs of RD (p = 1.000); BALF samples were PCR-positive in 37.9% of dogs with RD and 18.8% of dogs without signs of RD (p = 0.194) Mycoplasmo culture of BALF was positive in 28.6% of dogs with RD and in 18.8% without signs of RD (p = 0.730). When culture and PCR were compared, there was no significant difference in the detection rate of Mycoplasma species (p = 0.658) Sequencing detected different Mycoplasma species. Out of these, however, Mycoplasma cynos was isolated from four dogs with RD. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of Mycoplasma species between dogs with RD and dogs without evidence of RD; however, Mycoplasma cynos seems to be associated with respiratory disease.