Atypical mycoplasmas from sheep in Great Britain and Australia identified as Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae

Representative strains of "lacy-colony" mycoplasmas isolated from sheep in Great Britain and Victoria (Australia) were classified as M ovipneumoniae following comparison with strain Y98 of this species. The taxonomic description of M ovipneumoniae is extended and Y98 is proposed as the type strain. A brief description is given of the isolation of M ovipneumoniae from sheep in East Anglia.