The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of mycoplasmal pneumonia of slaughter pigs in Youngnam area during the period from 1995 to 1997. The prevalence and pathomorphology of gross lung lesions were studied from 682 slaughter pigs in 8 swine herds. Gross lesions of pneumonia were recorede in the lungs of 442(64.8%), from 367 out of them(83.0%) were diagnosed as mycoplasmal pneumonia. Microbiological examination was performed with 197 lungs with gross lesions of mycoplasmal pneumonia of slaughter pigs from 8 differentswine herds. M hyopneumoniae, P multocida, A pleuropneumoniae, Streptococcus spp, Corynebacterium spp, and H parasuis were detected in 24.4%, 48.2%, 2.5%, 11.2%, 3.6%, and 1.0% of the pneumonic lungs, respectively. A total of 48 strains of M hyopneumoniae was investigated for thier in vitro susceptibility to antibiotics. Among the drugs tested, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, tiamulin and tylosin showed the high activity in minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of 0.04-5 micro gram/ml while erythromycin showed low activity in MIC values(1.25~40micro gram/ml).

A species-specific 760 base pair(bp) BamHI to EcoRI DNA fragment(fMG-2) of lipoprotein gene was isolated from a Mycoplasma gallisepticum (M gallisepticum) genomic library. Based on the DNA sequence data of fMG-2, a pair of 25bp primers was synthesized. When used in the polymerase chain reaction(PCR), 732bp DNA products were amplified from 6 standard strains and 10 field isolates of M gallisepticum, but not from 2 Mycoplasma synoviae and 7 other Mycoplasma species. The lower detection limit was 100fg of the genomic DNA. Identity of the PCR products was confirmed by comparison of patterns of restriction endonuclease analysis with AseI, DraI, EcoRV and SspI.

From 2,373 slaughtered pigs examined, 1,899 of them had visible evidence of pulmonary lesion. The lungs with pulmonary lesion were examined by grossly, histopathological technique to investigate the prevalence accordint to season, severity ofpulmonary lesion, types of the pneumonia and relationship between rearing management and prevalence of pulmonary lesion. The results were as follows: 1. Prevalence of pneumonia according to season was 72.3 % to 85.9% and the higher prevalence was in winter. 2. In the severity of pulmonary lesion, rates mild, moderate and severe lesions were 38.3%, 47.0% and 14.7%, respectively. Prevalence of mild lesion was the highest in autumn. Prevalence of moderate and severe lesions was the hihgest in winter. 3. In the type of pneumonia, rates of interstitial pneumonia and bronchopneumonia fibrinous pneumonia were 23.6%, 13.0%, and 3.4%, respectively. Prevalence of interstitial pneumonia was high in spring and autumn while that of broncho-pneumonia and fibrinous pneumonia was high in winter and summer, respectively. 4. In relationship of pulmonary lesions according to severityo fpulmonary lesion and types of pneumonia, similarity was observed in prevalence of mild lesion and bronchopneumonia.

The 2,078 blood samples from 148 swine farms were collected and tested by IFA for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome(PRRS) virus antibody to know what type of PRRS prevails by the area. Clnically reproductive form of PRRS occurred in swine farms of 3/27, 3/87, and 2/34 in estern, central and western areas, but the seroprevalence of those areas ws different as 6.5%, 23.3%, and 17.6%, respectively. However, respiratory form of PRRS occurred more frequently, and the number of farms manifested with the respiratory form of PRRS in the eastern, central and western areas was 22/27, 71/87, and 30/34, respectively. The seroprevalence of that form of PRRS in the eastern, central and western areas was 52.2%m 67.1%, and 51.6%, respectively. Sybsequently mixed form of PRRS ocurred more frequently in the central area and the number of farms of eastern, central and western areas was 2/27, 13/87, and 2/34, respectively. The PRRS seroprevalence of the eastern, central and western areas was 58.6%, 54.0%, and 19.2%, respectively. Collectively the PRRS seroprevalence of eastern, central and western areas was 43.8%, 59.3%, and 38.2%, respectively. Overall seroprevalence of PRRS in Korea was 51.8%. In conclusion, the reproductive or the respiratory form of PRRS has been still in trouble inthe Korean swine industry and PRRS control measures have to be taken in consideration.