Reproductive performance of beef heifers: effects of vulvo-vaginitis, Ureaplasma diversum and prebreeding antibiotic administration

A Review of Ureaplasma diversum: A Representative of the Mollicute Class Associated With Reproductive and Respiratory Disorders in Cattle

The Mollicutes class encompasses wall-less microbes with a reduced genome. They may infect plants, insects, humans, and animals including those on farms and in livestock. Ureaplasma diversum is a mollicute associated with decreased reproduction mainly in the conception rate in cattle, as well as weight loss and decreased quality in milk production. Therefore, U. diversum infection contributes to important economic losses, mainly in large cattle-producing countries such as the United States, China, Brazil, and India. The characteristics of Mollicutes, virulence, and pathogenic variations make it difficult to control their infections. Genomic analysis, prevalence studies, and immunomodulation assays help better understand the pathogenesis of bovine ureaplasma. Here we present the main features of transmission, virulence, immune response, and pathogenesis of U. diversum in bovines.

Association of Ureaplasma diversum with reproductive disease in cattle

Aims: To examine the association between the detection of Ureaplasma diversum in vaginal swabs from dairy cows in north western Spain with the diagnosis of granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) and reproductive performance, and the association with subclinical endometritis (SE) in slaughterhouse material. The presence of this microorganism in cases of abortion was also investigated. Methods: From 106 dairy farms in the province of Lugo, 40 herds were randomly selected. Vaginal swabs were obtained from 10 randomly selected cows per farm, then pooled for analysis to detect the presence of U. diversum by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). In five of these herds samples from the 10 animals were individually tested for U. diversum, and the presence of GVV lesions and their reproductive efficiency (number of inseminations to achieve pregnancy over two subsequent pregnancies) were determined. Vaginal swabs from uteri of cattle obtained at a slaughterhouse (n = 100) were tested for U. diversum and the presence of SE, defined as >5% polymorphonuclear cells in cytobrush smears, was determined. Sixteen farms with abortion problems submitted samples for culture and PCR testing including for U. diversum. Results: Of the 40 herds, 39 (98%) tested positive for U. diversum. On the five farms, 25/50 (50%) cows tested positive for U. diversum, and more cows with GGV-lesions (16/25; 64%) tested positive than cows without lesions (9/25; 36%) (p = 0.047). There were more cows with poor reproductive efficacy that tested positive (8/11; 57%) than tested negative (3/17; 18%) for U. diversum (p = 0.029). Of the 100 uteri, five tested positive for U. diversum and there were more uteri with SE that tested positive (3/19; 16%) than uteri without SE (2/81; 2%) (p = 0.036). U. diversum was also diagnosed in 4/16 farms with abortion problems and liver appeared to be the best tissue for detecting U. diversum DNA in the fetuses analysed. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Infection with U. diversum was present in most of herds investigated and it was statistically associated with GVV, SE and poor reproductive performance. It was also detected in abortions and the liver may also be an additional tissue to be considered in the diagnosis of U. diversum abortion by PCR. The possible association with different diseases in the same area suggests that different presentations should be considered when studying the implications of U. diversum on the reproductive diseases of cattle.

Ureaplasma diversum as a cause of pustular vulvovaginitis in bovine females in Vale Guapore, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Ureaplasma diversum has been associated with various reproductive problems in cattle that include granular vulvovaginitis, weak calves, and abortion. This study was conducted in a beef herd situated in the Middle-West region of Brazil, and the objectives were to verify the presence of U. diversum and to elucidate its possible relationships with independent variables in this bovine herd population. A total of 134 vaginal mucous swabs were taken for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of these, 51 (38 %) were PCR positive for U. diversum. Of the 58 heifers with vulvovaginal lesions characterized by hyperemia, granulated lesions, and edema distributed throughout the vulvar mucosa, 37 (64 %) were U. diversum positive; of the 76 heifers without reproductive lesions, 14 (18 %) were U. diversum positive. All tested samples were negative for bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the following two variables were significantly associated with the presence of U. diversum: the presence of vulvar lesions (p = 0.001) and the presence of a progesterone (P4) device (p = 0.001). These findings indicate that U. diversum should be considered a pathogen that is associated with pustular vulvovaginitis in heifers from the Mato Grosso state and that additional studies of the risk factors associated with intravaginal P4 device transmission should be performed.

Polymerase chain reaction for detection of Ureaplasma diversum from urogenital swabs in cattle in Australia

BACKGROUND

Ureaplasma diversum has been associated with various reproductive problems in cattle, including granular vulvovaginitis, endometritis, salpingitis, early embryonic death, weak calves, decreased conception rates, balanoprosthitis, impaired spermatozoids and seminal vesiculitis in bulls.

METHODS

This study briefly outlines the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the rapid detection of U. diversum directly from urogenital swabs collected from Australian beef cattle.

RESULTS

The 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences obtained from the PCR products of the clinical samples were closely related to U. diversum strain A417.

CONCLUSION

The present test enabled detection of the organism directly from clinical swabs collected from animals with or without lesions.

Influence of the male on embryo quality

Early pregnancy failure or loss (EPL) represents a major source of wastage and inefficiency in livestock production systems. Although successful embryo development is dependent upon genetic and epigenetic contributions from both the male and female, potential adverse male affects on embryo quality and development are probably often underestimated. Of adverse male effects which have been identified, those associated with sperm and semen "quality" have been best characterized. In turn, although many factors can adversely impact semen quality, the mechanisms involved are relatively few. This presents opportunities for identifying biological markers for spermatogenic damage, as well as protective measures.

Prevalence and reproductive effects of Ureaplasma diversum in beef replacement heifers and the relationship to blood urea nitrogen level

A systematic sample of replacement heifers from 5 herds underwent prebreeding vaginal swab cultures for Ureaplasma diversum. Heifers from three of the herds were subsequently sampled at pregnancy examination. Sampled heifers were given a vaginal lesion score (VLS), reproductive tract score (RTS) and body condition score (BCS), and peripheral blood was collected for serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) estimation. Culture results revealed an overall prevalence of Ureaplasma diversum of 51% (87/171) at prebreeding and 65% (64/98) at pregnancy examination. Within herd prevalence ranged from 36% to 64% at prebreeding and 54% to 76% at pregnancy examination. Prevalence tended to differ between herds (P=0.08). At the prebreeding examination, heifers with a BCS of 5.5 or less were more likely to be culture positive than heifers with a BCS greater than 5.5 (p<0.05). No relationship was noted between BUN, VLS, RTS, or pregnancy status and prebreeding culture status. There was little variability among the heifers for any of these variables, with vaginal lesion scores generally being mild, RTS scores being high and BCS scores being moderate. At pregnancy examination, heifers that were culture negative tended to be more likely to be pregnant (odds 3.7, p=0.10) than culture positive heifers.