Evaluation of Mycoplasma bovis diagnostic tools in relation to management in endemic farms in Wallonia

ObjectivesIn the absence of effective treatments, prevention and diagnosis remain the main approaches to limit the impact associated with this bacteria.In Wallonia, the Regional Association for Animal Health and Identification (ARSIA) is actively involved in preventing this disease through two key measures: (i) detecting carrier animals using bacterial detection methods (culture or PCR) and combined serology (based on IgG2 detection) that can lead to the cancellation of a sale when a bovine is identified as seropositive (>80, MilA ELISA, Bio-X Diagnostics) during purchase blood sampling; (ii) offering an autovaccine developed from M. bovis strains isolated from the farm.Although the diseases associated with M. bovis presence in farms are well-documented, few studies describe the parameters of farms where M. bovis is endemic.The objective of this study is to characterize farms with a known endemic status using the diagnostic tools used in the control of M. bovis.An assessment of key management elements in these farms, including autovaccination, was conducted to evaluate their relationship with diagnostic results.