Prevalence of ureaplasmas in the genitalia of cattle and buffaloes in Egypt

ABSTRACT

The total recovery rate of U. diversum from vaginal samples obtained from animals suffering from reproductive disorders was 24.46% from cattle and 25.00% from buffaloes. Yet the incidence was varied individually according to the reproductivity status of examined animals. While the colonization rate from cattle in the following order; vaginitis [33.33%], cervicitis [25.80%], endometritis [33.33%], repeat breeding animals [22.44%], anestrum [7.14%], abortion [0.00%] pregnant [20.20%] and apparently normal cyclic animals [26.15%]. In buffaloes, it reached to 23.08%, 21.42%, 25.00%, 16.00%, 25.64%, 25.00%, 14.28% and 25.00%, respectively from animals kept under the same mangemental conditions. Slaughter-house-materials showed that he isolation pattern in non-pregnant cattle was evidently in a descending order starting from the vagina [12.50%] upwards to the other parts of the tract where no ureaplasmas were recovered ovaries. On the other hand, buffales showed a similar descending recovery pattern up to the ovaries, however, the isolation rate was exceptionally higher in the uterus [4.76%]. Comparing the isolation data from pregnant genitalia of both species, it is evident that in cattle, the organisms were recovered only from the vagina, yet no ureaplasmas were isolated from any site of the genitalia of pregnant buffaloes. In bulls, the recovery rate of U. diversum was relatively higher from semen and prepuce of male cattle and buffaloes used for natural services than those kept for artificial insemination purposes. In conclusions, the role of ureaplasmas as a cause of reproductive failure and infertility in cattle and buffaloes need further clarification