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According to Ohio State’s William (Bill) P. Weiss, PhD, “A bad sample is worse than no sample.” He was speaking about accuracy when analyzing feed, but he could have been referencing the collection of samples to be sent to diagnostic laboratories to identify pinkeye strains from cattle showing signs of it.
Addison Laboratory’s Karlin Yaeger and I spoke recently about preparing for pinkeye season and the importance of vaccinating for both strains of Moraxella sp. He indicated there may be a growing perception that Moraxella boviculi is being isolated more frequently, despite Moraxella bovis being present in samples when handled most efficiently.
We’re sharing some key takeaways from the conversation as producers and veterinary teams prepare to vaccinate before fly season and turnout time arrive.
- In the face of infection, proper sample collection is critical
- As important, is the handling and rapid transport of samples to diagnostic labs
- Delays in transport time may allow boviculi to overgrow M. bovis in transit
- The physical, spiky pilin, structure of bovis allows it to attach to the cornea and provide a more efficient attachment method for the much smoother M. boviculi.
Sources:
- New findings with bovine pinkeye, Progressive Dairy. Link. Includes electron microscope photos of Moraxella sp. bacteria showing the structural differences.
- Understanding pinkeye; a laboratory overview, Addison Biological Laboratory. Link
- The impact of pinkeye in cattle, Drovers, July 12, 2023. Link
- New interventions against pinkeye may be on the way, AHD, October 2022. Link.
It should be understood, vaccination with Moraxella sp. does not eliminate the organisms from the host animals. The vaccines are designed to protect against the expression of disease, not the carrier state of the host animals.”
