Genetically diagnosis of Mycoplasma isolated from respiratory and conjunctival infections in household dogs

Genetic depiction of Mycoplasma isolates was done by a PCR approach from the upper respiratory tract and conjunctival infections in domestic dogs in Mosul City. This was accomplished by amplifying the 16S rRNA gene, which is specific to the Mycoplasma genus. 100 domestic dogs of various ages, sexes, and breeds participated in the study from 1/2/2022 to 1/1/2023. There were 300 swabs total, including conjunctival, nasal, and oropharyngeal swabs. The swabs were subjected to mycoplasmal culturing in suitable conditions. The growing colonies were examined by light and a dissecting microscope. The DNA of growing colonies was extracted and amplified then migrated in agarose gel to observe the bands. The study's findings revealed the isolation of 58 Mycoplasma isolates, with an overall swab isolation rate of around 58% and a high rate of 68% from nasal swabs, then from oropharyngeal swabs and conjunctival swabs 58 and 45% sequentially. PCR technique showed that 34 isolates from the total of 58 isolates were assured for the 16S rRNA gene and yielded a band at 270bp, these findings are regarded as distinctive for the genus Mycoplasma . DNA Sequencing results of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that twenty-three 67.65% out of thirty-four Mycoplasma isolates were indicated as Mycoplasma cynos strain SM-MY-M23 which was dumped in the GenBank nucleotide sequence database under accession number OQ446513, so current results are considered as the first record of Mycoplasma cynos in dogs in Iraq.