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Mycoplasma Haemolamae (Eperythrozoonosis)
Jennifer Lehr, DVM
Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine
Few other diseases strikes fear in to alpaca owners is EPE. Although Mycoplasmahaemolamaewas first described in 1990 (then called Eperythozoon, leading to the common name EPE); it remains a diagnostic challenge for veterinarians and a confusing disease for owners. Understanding your enemy is the first step to victory and M. haemolamaeis a stealthy enemy of alpacas. This bacterium attaches itself to the cells that carry oxygen (red blood cells) and causes a variety of problems for the infected alpaca. Most alpacas infected with the bacteria and never develop any apparent disease. Others become very ill with a few weeks. Some will not become ill until months or even years after infection. Some animals die of this disease. What influences the variable clinical outcomes of this infection is not completely understood. Remaining vigilant for subtle signs of disease is the best way to prevent this disease from causing havoc in your herd. Remember that alpacas, by nature are prey animals, are excellent at hiding signs of illness until they are critically sick. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, such as an individual separating herself from the herd, decreased appetite, rapid breathing or weight loss it is very important to call your veterinarian.
The best outcomes are achieved when M. haemolamaeinfections are diagnosed and treated early. The signs associated with M. haemolamaeare not specific to this infection and your veterinarian will likely need to do some blood tests to determine the cause of your alpaca’s illness. None of us want to stress alpacas or their owners by drawing blood. However, if the infection is not discovered until the animal is severely anemic and weak or suffering with other infections, treatment is less likely to be successful. Even with treatment that results in the alpaca recovering their health it is likely that that animal will remain a carrier (capable of transmitting the disease or becoming ill again if they are immune-compromised).Many causes of stress in an alpaca’s lifecannot be completely avoided including: hot weather, high humidity, pregnancy and transport to shows or sales. Some alpacas are better at dealing with stressors than others. Even the toughest animal is not able to stay healthy in the face of numerous stressors such as, high parasite burden, poor nutrition and concurrent illness. So supporting your herd’s health and immune function by providing good nutrition, gentle regular handling, regularly observing for signs of illness and a veterinarian supervised health plan remains the best way to prevent problems with M. haemolamae.
Note elliptical shape of the alpaca’s red blood cells this is normal. The many dark purple dots are M. haemolamaeorganisms and are not normal.
photo courtesy of Merck Manual online