Intercurrent antibodies to Mycoplasma bovis in cattle infected with haemoparasites in an institutional farm at Sokoto, Nigeria

A cross-sectional study of four institutional farms (Prison farm, Livestock Investigation and Breeding centre (LIBC), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching and Research (UDUTRF) and Kebbe Cattle Ranch (KCR)) in Sokoto state, Nigeria, involving a total of 62 cattle comprising 49 females and 13 males was undertaken to determine the presence of Mycoplasma bovis antibodies. The cattle sampled were local breeds comprising Gudali, Rahaji, White-Fulani and their crosses. They were aged 1–10 years and were managed semi-intensively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the detection M. bovis antibody. Of the 62 cattle screened, M. bovis antibody was detected in 41(66%). Also, 24 out of the 41 M. bovis positive cattle were found infected with haemoparasites. Similarly, 11 out of the 21 serologically negative cattle were infected with one or more haemoparasites. Seven (20%), 3(8.5%) and 7(20%) of the M. bovis positive cattle were infected with Babesia bigemina, Anaplasma marginale, and or B. bigemina and A. marginale respectively. Overall, 35 of the 62 screened cattle were infected with one form of blood parasites or another or combinations of the parasites. There was however no significant statistical  relationship (p>0.05) between the number of cattle positive for M. bovis and the presence of haemoparasites among the examined cattle. Keywords: Mycoplasma bovis, cattle, ELISA, hemoparasitism, institutional farms, Nigeria