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Detection and Differentiation of Ruminant Mycoplasmas

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PCR Detection of Microbial Pathogens

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 216))

Abstract

More than 20 different species of mollicutes, most of them belonging to the genus Mycoplasma, have been identified from ruminant hosts to date. While a considerable part of this group is conceived to be of minor epidemiological relevance, it contains some important pathogenic agents that have specific host ranges. Due to several peculiar properties of mycoplasmas, which include the absence of a cell wall and the capability of surface antigen variation, diseases caused by mycoplasmas are difficult to control in the conventional fashion by chemotherapy or immunoprophylaxis. Another general feature of mycoplasma infections is their protracted and occasionally chronic course. Five mycoplasmas of economic and welfare importance are mentioned here and serve as examples for the variety of clinical and diagnostic circumstances that can be resolved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division 4: Bacterial Animal Diseases and Control of Zoonoses, Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), Jena, Germany

    Helmut Hotzel & Konrad Sachse

  2. Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland

    Joachim Frey

  3. Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, UK

    John Bashiruddin

Authors
  1. Helmut Hotzel
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  2. Joachim Frey
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  3. John Bashiruddin
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  4. Konrad Sachse
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), Jena, Germany

    Konrad Sachse (Dr. Rer. Nat.) (Dr. Rer. Nat.)

  2. University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Joachim Frey PhD

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© 2003 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Hotzel, H., Frey, J., Bashiruddin, J., Sachse, K. (2003). Detection and Differentiation of Ruminant Mycoplasmas. In: Sachse, K., Frey, J. (eds) PCR Detection of Microbial Pathogens. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 216. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-344-5:231

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-344-5:231

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-049-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-344-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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