title: Natural uterine Mycoplasma pulmonis infection in female rats.
abstract: Uterine washings from 124 apparently healthy and non-pregnant female Wistar rats of different ages were cultured for mycoplasmas and bacteria. The animals originated from four conventional breeding colonies which were known to be chronically infected with M. pulmonis from the previous microbiological examination. Mycoplasmas were isolated from the uterus in 30.6% of examined females. All the isolates were biochemically and seriologically identified as M. pulmonis. Uterine colonization with this organism was first evidenced in non-mated female rats at the age of three months. After mating the number of infected females rapidly increased. This observation points out the microbiologically uncontrolled mating as an important factor in the distribution of genital infection within the colony. Bacterial examination of uterine washings revealed only ubiquitous organisms in some animals. Gross lesions in the form of purulent salpingitis and mild endometritis were observed only in two animals.
authors.affiliation: PLIVA--Research Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naglić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000382:microbiology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology