The upper respiratory tract is a natural reservoir of haemolytic Mannheimia species associated with ovine mastitis.

Lamb suckling has been suggested to be an important way of infecting a ewe's udder with different bacteria, including Mannheimia haemolytica. To test the potential role of lambs in transferring Mannheimia species to the ewe's udder, the restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns of isolates obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs were compared with those obtained from cases of mastitis. Sterile cotton swabs were used to collect nasopharyngeal samples from 50 ewes and 36 lambs from three flocks. M. haemolytica and Mannheimia glucosida as well as haemolytic Mannheimia ruminalis-like organisms were detected in the upper respiratory tract of lambs and ewes. Comparison of the restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns of the isolates suggested that the M. haemolytica isolates obtained from different milk samples from ewes with mastitis were more clonal than those obtained from the nasal swabs. However, some nasal isolates within both Mannheimia species had restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns identical to those obtained from milk samples from ewes with mastitis, indicating that lambs may have a role in transferring these organisms to the udder. More clonality was observed between the M. glucosida isolates than between M. haemolytica isolates.

Human Wound Infection with Mannheimia glucosida following Lamb Bite.

Mannheimia spp. are veterinary pathogens that can cause mastitis and pneumonia in domestic cattle and sheep. While Mannheimia glucosida can be found as normal flora in oral and respiratory mucosa in sheep, there have been no reported cases of human infection with this organism.

Sequence diversity, cytotoxicity and antigenic similarities of the leukotoxin of isolates of Mannheimia species from mastitis in domestic sheep.

Species within the genus Mannheimia are among the most important causes of ovine mastitis. Isolates of these species can express leukotoxin A (LktA), a primary virulence factor of these bacteria. To examine the significance of variation in the LktA, the sequences of the lktA genes in a panel of isolates from cases of ovine mastitis were compared. The cross-neutralising capacities of rat antisera raised against LktA of one Mannheimia glucosida, one haemolytic Mannheimia ruminalis, and two Mannheimia haemolytica isolates were also examined to assess the effect that variation in the lktA gene can have on protective immunity against leukotoxins with differing sequences. The lktA nucleotide distance between the M. haemolytica isolates was greater than between the M. glucosida isolates, with the M. haemolytica isolates divisible into two groups based on their lktA sequences. Comparison of the topology of phylogenetic trees of 16S rDNA and lktA sequences revealed differences in the relationships between some isolates, suggesting horizontal gene transfer. Cross neutralisation data obtained with monospecific anti-LktA rat sera were used to derive antigenic similarity coefficients for LktA from the four Mannheimia species isolates. Similarity coefficients indicated that LktA of the two M. haemolytica isolates were least similar, while LktA from M. glucosida was most similar to those for one of the M. haemolytica isolates and the haemolytic M. ruminalis isolate. The results suggested that vaccination with the M. glucosida leukotoxin would generate the greatest cross-protection against ovine mastitis caused by Mannheimia species with these alleles.

Molecular epidemiology of Mannheimia haemolytica and Mannheimia glucosida associated with ovine mastitis.

While Mannheimia haemolytica and Mannheimia glucosida have been recognized as causes of intramammary infection in sheep, there has been no investigation of the epidemiology of the strains involved. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was used to study the molecular epidemiology of isolates of these 2 species associated with ovine mastitis. Ten distinct strains were recognized among 12 M. haemolytica isolates, and 7 distinct strains among 13 M. glucosida isolates. The results demonstrate a high diversity of isolates with the ability to cause ovine mastitis. However, the presence of some identical isolates may suggest the possibility of horizontal transmission of these species in some flocks, possibly through lamb sucking, and/or differences in the capacity of some isolates to cause mastitis in sheep.

The role of Mannheimia species in ovine mastitis.

Mannheimia haemolytica is known to be an important cause of intramammary infection in sheep. It usually causes severe clinical mastitis, followed by toxaemia and gangrenous necrosis of the udder. However there are limited data available on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of mastitis associated with Mannheimia species. These organisms can be more significant as a cause of mastitis than Staphylococcus aureus in some flocks. Some data suggest the possibility of horizontal transmission of Mannheimia species between ewes via lamb sucking. There is no vaccine available for prevention, and the sudden onset of mastitis and its peracute nature renders most treatments unsuccessful. This review examines the significance of the species within this genus in sheep mastitis.

Mannheimia species associated with ovine mastitis.

Mannheimia glucosida, M. haemolytica, and M. ruminalis were isolated from cases of acute mastitis in ewes. M. glucosida was found to be a common cause of clinical mastitis in sheep. Selected phenotypic tests in addition to genotyping were needed to definitively identify Mannheimia species causing ovine mastitis.