Pulmonary Mycoplasmosis in an Axis Deer (Axis Axis) From a Wildlife Reserve in Argentina

Abstract

A 4-year-old male axis deer (Axis axis) died after several weeks of progressive weight loss and severe respiratory distress. A field necropsy was performed, and lung tissue was submitted for histopathology. Microscopically, there was severe, subacute to chronic, diffuse, suppurative bronchopneumonia with multiple caseonecrotic foci and bronchiectasis. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis using polyclonal antibodies for Mycoplasma bovis revealed positive immunoreactivity. The histopathological, and IHC findings observed in this deer are remarkably similar to pulmonary mycoplasmosis of cattle. These findings represent the first report of M. bovis-associated pneumonia in the axis deer and suggest that deer develop pulmonary disease and lung lesions like mycoplasmosis in domestic cattle.