Ureaplasma diversum–Ureaplasma sp. alone or concomitantly with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pig lungs with and without pneumonia: A descriptive exploratory study in abattoirs

Occurrence of Ureaplasma diversum (U. diversum) has been associated with reproductive failures in cattle and detected in pigs with and without pneumonia. However, its role in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) is unclear. A cross-sectional study was conducted in abattoirs, inspecting 280 pig lungs from eight herds. All the lungs were inspected, processed and classified according to the histopathological analysis. Moreover, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens were collected and processed by PCR for detection of U. diversum and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae). Ureaplasma sp.–U. diversum and M. hyopneumoniae were detected in 17.1% and 29.3% of the analyzed BAL specimens, respectively. The concomitant presence of both microorganisms was detected in 12.5% of the inspected lungs. Both agents were found in lungs with and without pneumonia. M. hyopneumoniae was detected in 31.8% of pig lungs with enzootic pneumonia-like lesions, while Ureaplasma sp.–U. diversum was detected in 27.5% of lungs with these lesions. This descriptive exploratory study provides information for future experimental and field-based studies to better define the pathogenic role of this organism within the PRDC.