Emergence of Acholeplasma laidlawii Infection in Ducks: Isolation and Colonization Potential.
4 affiliations
- 1Poultry Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China.
- 2Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Jinan 250100, China.
- 3Shandong Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control, Jinan 250100, China.
- 4Department of Infectious Diseases and Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Division of Influenza Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 54989, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
Acholeplasma laidlawii is a Mycoplasma species widely distributed in the environment. It is often regarded as an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing respiratory infections in animals and humans. To date, only a few studies have reported A. laidlawii infection in poultry. In the present study, an A. laidlawii strain was isolated from the lungs and trachea of diseased ducks presenting with air sac lesions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that the isolate was susceptible to tylvalosin, tylosin, and valnemulin, with relatively low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The pathogenicity of the isolate was evaluated using specific-pathogen-free (SPF) ducks via subcutaneous inoculation. No clinical signs were observed during the experimental period. Oral and cloacal swabs, as well as tissue samples, were tested by PCR. The results showed that the pathogen was detectable in swabs from 5 to 21 days post-inoculation (dpi), and all lung and tracheal samples from infected ducks tested positive. Histopathological examination of the lungs and trachea revealed pathological changes in both tissues. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that A. laidlawii was capable of colonizing ducks and inducing mild histopathological changes, suggesting that this pathogen might pose an epidemiological risk in duck farming. Furthermore, these results indicate that A. laidlawii could colonize ducks, underscoring the need for continued surveillance to monitor for emerging pathogens in ducks.
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BibTeX
@article{lv2026emergence,
title = {{Emergence of Acholeplasma laidlawii Infection in Ducks: Isolation and Colonization Potential.}},
author = {Junfeng Lv and Qiaoya Zhao and Yanhan Liu and Min Kang and Bai Wei and Yufeng Li and Huaiying Xu},
journal = {Veterinary sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/vetsci13101056},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944151},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Emergence of Acholeplasma laidlawii Infection in Ducks: Isolation and Colonization Potential.
AU - Junfeng Lv
AU - Qiaoya Zhao
AU - Yanhan Liu
AU - Min Kang
AU - Bai Wei
AU - Yufeng Li
AU - Huaiying Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Veterinary sciences
DO - 10.3390/vetsci13101056
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944151
AB - Acholeplasma laidlawii is a Mycoplasma species widely distributed in the environment. It is often regarded as an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing respiratory infections in animals and humans. To date, only a few studies have reported A. laidlawii infection in poultry. In the present study, an A. laidlawii strain was isolated from the lungs and trachea of diseased ducks presenting with air sac lesions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that the isolate was susceptible to tylvalosin, tylosin, and valnemulin, with relatively low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The pathogenicity of the isolate was evaluated using specific-pathogen-free (SPF) ducks via subcutaneous inoculation. No clinical signs were observed during the experimental period. Oral and cloacal swabs, as well as tissue samples, were tested by PCR. The results showed that the pathogen was detectable in swabs from 5 to 21 days post-inoculation (dpi), and all lung and tracheal samples from infected ducks tested positive. Histopathological examination of the lungs and trachea revealed pathological changes in both tissues. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that A. laidlawii was capable of colonizing ducks and inducing mild histopathological changes, suggesting that this pathogen might pose an epidemiological risk in duck farming. Furthermore, these results indicate that A. laidlawii could colonize ducks, underscoring the need for continued surveillance to monitor for emerging pathogens in ducks.
SN - 2306-7381
ER -