Commercial Content
Moraxella bovis is a commensal organism of the bovine eye meaning that it can be found on the eyes and periocular tissues of healthy animals nearly all the time, writes Tim Parks, DVM, and Lowell T. Midla, VMD, MS. The veterinarians explain Moraxella bovis generally does not cause infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, unless there is damage to the cornea. Prevention starts with clipping pastures and controlling flies, the two most common causes of damage to the cornea.
Parks and Midia share pathogenesis of pinkeye and the mechanisms for both Moraxella bovis and Moraxella bovoculi.
Source: Hereford World Magazine, July 2021, page 96. Link. PDF. Link.
We certainly do not yet know all there is to know about pinkeye. The best recommendations now are:
- Control flies
- Minimize other causes of corneal trauma
- Vaccinate against both Moraxella bovis and Moraxella bovoculi.
INSIGHTS: AHD sponsor Addison Biological Laboratory shared laboratory testing information to demonstrate the challenge Mycoplasma sp. puts on pinkeye vaccination last August. Link. We spoke with Karlin Yaeger who shared 2020 lab results parallel the lab results shared for 2019. Link.
Samples submitted by breaking herds are more than twice as likely (70/30) to be positive for Mycoplasma bovoculi than not.”