Ureaplasma diversum isolation from vaginal mucus of repeat breeders dairy cows in Alagoas state – Brazil

Abstract

Ureaplasma diversum is an opportunistic bacteria of the bovine genital tract and an important agent in granular vulvovaginitis, abortion, low fertility herd rate and respiratory problems in calves. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between positive cultures for Ureaplasma diversum and the extension and severity of the lesions in the vaginal mucosa of repeat breeders dairy cows in Alagoas State, Brazil. Visual evaluation were performed in 93 cows to evaluate the vaginal lesion score (VLS), classified according the lesion severity and extension (0 to 4, with 0= no lesions, 4= severe inflammation and local necrosis). The VLS 1 was the most frequent (51,61%). VLS 0 was present in 17,2% of the females, while 29,03% and 2,16% showed VLS 2 and 3, respectively. None of the cows showed VLS 4. Vaginal swab samples were obtained from 24 females (25%). Of them, 41,7% were positive for U. diversum. The presence of U. diversum was associated positively to VLS, especially to those cows showing vaginal lesion score 1. The present results indicated that Ureaplasma diversum should be considered responsible for low reproductive efficiency, carrying out to repeat breeding, probably because of embryo mortality.