Investigations into the survival of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae and Mycoplasma iowae on materials found in the poultry house environment

Following preliminary experiments to determine suitable methods for studying mycoplasma survival, suspensions of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (four strains), Mycoplasma synoviae (two strains) or Mycoplasma iowae (two strains) were seeded onto replicate samples of cotton, rubber, straw, shavings, timber, food, feathers and human hair. The organisms were also seeded onto human skin, ear and nasal mucosa. All samples were cultured for viability after 4, 8, 12 and 24 h, and then daily up to 6 days. The identity of recovered mycoplasmas was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence. All three Mycoplasma species survived for the longest time on feathers with M. gallisepticum surviving between 2 and 4 days and M. synoviae 2 to 3 days. The type strain of M. iowae remained viable for 5 days on feathers, while the field strain was still viable at the end of the 6-day experiment. This strain also survived for at least 6 days on human hair and several other materials. M. gallisepticum survived on human hair up to 3 days and one recent field isolate also survived in the nose for 24 h. Survival times of the organisms were generally less on other materials although M. gallisepticum could be isolated from straw, cotton and rubber samples after 2 days.