Figure 2

Lower respiratory tract inoculation with M. ovipneumoniae leads to increased respiratory disease and decreased weight gains compared to upper respiratory tract inoculation. A Development of lamb body weights over time, shown as percent change from baseline weight measured one week before inoculation with M. ovipneumoniae or PBS. Graph shows predicted mean (line) and SD. B, C All lambs were screened twice daily for signs of respiratory disease, for changes in behavior and appetite, and administered medications were also recorded (see Additional file 1 for scoring rubric). Daily scores were the sum of the two individual measurements. B Total health scores, calculated as the sums of the daily scores in the four categories. C Respiratory scores. D Biweekly rectal temperatures measured in the three different treatment groups. Graphs show mean ± SD of five lambs per group.