§ — PATHOGEN PROFILE · MYCO

Mycoplasma agassizii

The bacterial cause of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in tortoises — chronic, recurring and lifelong. [7][20]

Method: PCR only
Sample material: Oral swab
Catalogue code: MYCO

The pathogen

A cell-wall-free bacterium. The absence of a cell wall makes beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins) entirely ineffective.

Transmission

Direct nose-to-nose contact and aerosol, especially when tortoises of different origin share an enclosure. Carriers remain infectious for life with long silent periods.

Pathology

Chronic proliferative rhinitis with loss of the nasal epithelium
Conjunctivitis and palpebral oedema
Ascending infection to the lower respiratory tract
Secondary bacterial colonisation of the damaged mucosa

Clinical signs

Persistent nasal discharge, from clear to purulent
Swollen eyelids, closed eyes, excess tear flow
Loss of appetite and weight, worsening after hibernation

Prevention

Test every new tortoise and never introduce an untested animal to a group
Keep groups closed; each acquisition is a new risk
Separate species and origins permanently
Retest before breeding and before hibernation

Treatment options

Unlike the viral targets on this panel, mycoplasma is treatable. Veterinary-prescribed antibiotics active against cell-wall-free bacteria (for example enrofloxacin, or a macrolide) reduce clinical signs, but the infection is generally not cleared — animals remain carriers and can relapse.

Target species

Testudo spp. and other terrestrial tortoises
Gopherus spp. (desert and gopher tortoises)
Occasionally other chelonians and lizards

Testing note

PCR only — culture is unreliable for this organism. An oral or nasal-flush sample is used; PCR can be negative between episodes, so retest a suspect animal. [7][20]

Order this test How to take the swab

Scientific references

[7]Braun J, Schrenzel M, Witte C, Gokool L, Burchell J, Rideout BA (2014). Molecular methods to detect Mycoplasma spp. And Testudinid herpesvirus 2 in desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and implications for disease management. Journal of wildlife diseases 50:757-66. DOI: 10.7589/2013-09-231 · PMID: 25121400
[20]Jacobson ER, Brown MB, Wendland LD, Brown DR, Klein PA, Christopher MM, et al. (2014). Mycoplasmosis and upper respiratory tract disease of tortoises: a review and update. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997) 201:257-64. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.05.039 · PMID: 24951264

PCR detection depends on specimen quality, sampling time, intermittent shedding and the analytical method. A negative PCR result applies only to the submitted sample.

Other investigations

References

[7]Braun J, Schrenzel M, Witte C, Gokool L, Burchell J, Rideout BA (2014). Molecular methods to detect Mycoplasma spp. And Testudinid herpesvirus 2 in desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and implications for disease management. Journal of wildlife diseases 50:757-66. DOI: 10.7589/2013-09-231 · PMID: 25121400
[20]Jacobson ER, Brown MB, Wendland LD, Brown DR, Klein PA, Christopher MM, et al. (2014). Mycoplasmosis and upper respiratory tract disease of tortoises: a review and update. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997) 201:257-64. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.05.039 · PMID: 24951264

Order a kit
Prepared for your animal and typically delivered within 7 days
Send the samples
Take the sample and send it directly to the laboratory
Receive the test result
Typically within 7 days after the laboratory receives the sample

This profile is reference information for keepers and breeders. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace veterinary advice. Medicines mentioned are prescription-only and must be used under veterinary supervision.