Development of DNA extraction and PCR amplification protocols for detection of mycoplasma bovis directly form milk samples

The aim of the study was to develop DNA extraction and PCR amplification protocols to detect Mycoplasma bovis directly in milk samples. The molecular data resulted comparable to those obtained by culture methods. Sensitivity of the extraction procedure was found to achieve a detection of 10 cfu/mL. PCR amplification could be obtained starting from 0.25 pg of DNA, showing the excellent specificity and high sensitivity of the assay. The optimised protocols were used to determine the presence of Mycoplasma bovis in some herds in the North of Italy.