Nasal prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis and IHA titers in young dairy animals.

Serologic and cultural observations were made in three herds with and three herds without histories of mycoplasma mastitis. Nasal swabs and sera were collected from dairy animals of various ages over an eight month peiod. The overall prevalence of Myocopalsma bovis in the nares was 34% in diseased herds and 6% in the non-diseased herds without mastitis. Mycoplasma bovis was isolated in the highest prevalence in those young animals fed infected milk. Slight serologic differences were seen in these animals. Nasal prevalence of M. bovis was low but readily detectable in non diseased herds as well as in prepartum heifers in the diseased herds with mycoplasma mastitis.