Isolation of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma Species from Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)

1 Division of Microbiology, Hiroshima Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Ujina-kanda 1-5-70, Hiroshima, 734 Japan 2 Imamichi Institute for Animal Reproduction, Dejima-mura, Ibaraki, 300-01 Japan 3 Department of Public Health, Azabu University School of Veterinary Medicine, Fuchinobe, Kanagawa, 229 Japan 4 Department of Bacteriology, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima, 734 Japan ABSTRACT SUMMARY: Mycoplasma spp. were isolated from five wild raccoon dogs ( Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus ). On the basis of biochemical properties and serological tests, nine isolates were identified as Mycoplasma edwardii and four were similar to a possibly new Mycoplasma sp. represented by strain LM2 which is negative for both glucose fermentation and arginine hydrolysis. In addition, ureaplasmas were detected from these animals. Ureaplasmas were compared serologically with ureaplasma strains isolated from human, monkey, cattle, goat, sheep, cat, chicken and dog and cross-reacted with one of four serological groups of canine ureaplasmas.