Bartonella clarridgeiae in Fleas, Tahiti, French Polynesia

were conducted by using MEGA version 4.1 (www.megasoftware. net). The partial lppA gene nucleotide sequences of isolates GN407 and GN408 were submitted to GenBank under accession nos. HQ699892 and HQ699893, respectively. PCR amplifi cations of the 2 joint fl uids and their cultures were positive for M. leachii. When we compared the complete 16S rRNA gene and the partial lppA gene, the 2 isolates from the same epizootic shared 100% nt identity. For 16S rRNA gene, the isolates shared 99.9%, 99.9%, and 99.7% nt identities to M. leachii PG50, M. capricolum subsp. capricolum, and M. mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony, respectively. For partial lppA gene, the isolates shared 99.6%, 95.1%, and 69.6% nt identities to M. leachii PG50, M. mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony, and M. capricolum subsp. capricolum, respectively. Intraarticular inoculation of the passage cultures successfully reproduced the polyarthritis in calves 1 month of age. Thus, there are notable similarities between our fi ndings and those reported in Australia (3). Multidisciplinary procedures, including clinical assessment and comprehensive laboratory investigations of affected calves, were used to identify the etiologic agent. The results showed that the outbreak of the serious polyarthritis in calves was caused by M. leachii. Our detection of M. leachii in China confi rms a wider geographic presence of this type of Mycoplasma spp. in cattle and suggests M. leachii is common and potentially distributed worldwide. Currently, the source of M. leachii infection and its means of spread have not been established. However, our epidemiologic and clinical investigations indicated clear evidence of seminal infection because all calves with arthritis were from dams that were fertilized by using the same batch of semen, and cows in the same herd that were fertilized by using a different batch of semen delivered healthy calves. More epidemiologic, molecular, and pathogenic studies are required to determine the relevance, distribution, importance, and diversity of M. leachii in cattle.