Granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) in Sheep Experimentally Induced with Mycoplasma ovine/caprine Serogroup 11

To have insight into the pathogenicity of Mycoplasma ovine/caprine serogroup 11 for female genital system of sheep, 8 apparently healthy lambs were taken.Two ml of M. ovine/caprine serogroup 11 (2-D) culture containing 6 x 10 8 CFU (colony forming units) ml-l was inoculated into lightly scarified vulvovaginal canal of 7 lambs, while 2 ml of sterile mycoplasma broth was similarly inoculated in one lamb, which served as control.All the infected lambs exhibited swelling of vulva along with mucus discharge from next day post-inoculation (DPI), and this persisted up to 10-12 DPI.The experiment was of 70 d duration during which one lamb was sacrificed at every 10 d interval.The control lamb was also sacrificed on 70th d.Grossly, in the vulva and vagina, congestion, oedema and fine nodules were discernible by 10 DPI.Microscopically, all the infected lambs developed lymphocytic vulvitis, vaginitis, cervicitis, and endometritis, which aggravated with the increase in DPI.M. ovine/caprine serogroup 11 could be re-isolated from vaginal swabs of all the infected lambs up to 70th DPI.The findings reported here indicate that M. ovine/ /caprine serogroup 11 is pathogenic for female genital tract of sheep as it causes granular vulvovaginitis (GVV), and it is the first description of the pathologic features of GVV in sheep induced by this organism.