Clinicopathological and Sero-Molecular Detection of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae in Goats in Southern Areas of Pakistan

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a highly fatal infectious disease of goats, caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp). This disease is causing huge economic losses to the goat industry in Pakistan. However, little is known about the epidemiology of CCPP, especially in the hard areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, despite having a huge population of goats. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate sero-molecular epidemiology and pathology associated with Mccp infection in goats in southern areas of KP including Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), Bannu, Karak, and Kohat. A total of 200 (50 from each area) serum samples were collected from clinically infected goats, whereas 600 various samples (nasal swab n = 50, pleural fluid n = 50, lungs n = 50 at each selected area of study) were collected from live goats showing respiratory clinical signs and dead/slaughter goats having lesions in the lungs/pleura. A commercial competitive ELISA kit confirmed anti-Mccp antibodies in altogether 17% of serum samples, while area-wise seroprevalence was recorded as follows: Kohat, 28%, Bannu, 18%, DI Khan, 14%, and Karak, 8%. Moreover, a total of 5.5% of samples collected from clinically positive live and dead goats for Mccp were found by species-specific PCR, whereas area-wise molecular prevalence of Mccp was found in 3% samples from Kohat, 7.33%, Bannu, 6%, Khan, 5.33%, and Karak, 3.33%. Of 400 clinically examined goats, 242 (60%) had nasal discharge, 207 (51%) had pyrexia, 50.75% (203) had coughing, 48.25% (193) had pneumonia, 23% (92) had lacrimation, 7.75% (31) had pneumonia with lacrimation, and 10 (2.5%) showed all signs. Of the total 200 dead/slaughtered goats, pleural fluid was found in 36 goats and consolidation and red hepatization were observed in 40 and 42 goats, respectively. The present study found the presence of prevailing Mccp strain in the goat population of the study area. The highest prevalence of Mccp was found in collected samples from Kohat by PCR. The highest seroprevalence of Mccp was found in serum samples collected from Kohat by ELISA.