The identification of Mycoplasma conjunctivae as an aetiological agent of infectious keratoconjunctivitis of sheep in South Africa.

Ovine keratoconjunctivitis was successfully reproduced in lambs under 1 year of age, in four separate transmission trials, by the use of mycoplasma isolates obtained from field outbreaks of ovine infectious keratoconjunctivitis. Mycoplasma isolates used in one of these trials, were identified as M. conjunctivae by means of immunofluorescence. Mycoplasma was isolated from approximately 87% of field cases examined. Branhamella ovis was isolated from 22% of field cases examined. No Chlamydia sp. or viruses were isolated from any of the outbreaks.