Mycoplasma milvi
(Spergser et al., 2025)
Etymology
Gr. n. mukes – fungus, Gr. neut. n. plasma – anything formed, N.L. neut. n. Mycoplasma – fungus form; N.L. gen. masc. n. milvi – of a kite of genus Milvus
Taxonomy
Mycoplasmatales – Mycoplasmataceae – Mycoplasma – Mycoplasma milvi (M. synoviae cluster), closely related to Mycoplasma haliaeeti (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity – 99.65%) (Fig. 1); part of the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex
Type strain
Z331BT (Red kite (Milvus milvus), Austria, 2020), (Fig. 2, 16S rRNA gene sequence)
Genomes
one completed (Z331BT – Austria); 11 draft genomes (NCBI Genome deposits per 01/02/2026)
Cell morphology
spherical – coccoid
Colony morphology
fried egg morphology (Fig. 3)
Metabolism
oxidation of organic acids (pyruvate, lactate); non-fermentative, non-arginine-hydrolyzing, non-urea-hydrolyzing
Host
predominantly Red kite (Milvus milvus)
Habitat
respiratory tract
Disease(s)
commensal or possibly opportunist
Pathogenicity
pathogenicity factors unknown
Epidemiology
isolated from several red kites (Milvus milvus) in Austria, occasionally isolated from Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) in Spain and singularly isolated from a common buzzard (Germany) and an Eurasian goshawk (Austria)
Diagnosis
cultivation and assignment to the Mycoplasma aquilae species complex by MALDI-ToF MS, subsequent identification by sequencing of the rpoB gene
Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood tree showing the phylogenetic position of Mycoplasma milvi Z331BT within the M. synoviae cluster of Mycoplasmataceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The sequence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae JT was used as out-group (M. hyopneumoniae cluster). Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap confidence values (1000 replications). Only values > 70% are shown. Bar, number of substitutions per nucleotide position. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)
Mycoplasma milvi Z331BT
CTGGCTGTGTGCCTAATACATGCATGTCGAGCGGAGTTCTTCGGAACTTAGCGGCGAATGGGTGAGTAACACGTACTTAACGTACCTTCTAGATTGGGATAACGCTGAGAAATTAGCGCTAATACCGGATACTTATAAGAAACGCATGTTTCTTATATAAAAGGAGCCTTAAAGCTCCACTAGAAGATCGGGGTGCGGAACATTAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGATGTTTAACGGGGTTGAGAGACTGATCCGTCACACTGGGACTGAGATACGGCCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATTTTCCACAATGGGCGAAAGCCTGATGGAGCGACACAGCGTGCAGGATGAAGGCCTTCGGGTTGTAAACTGCTGTTATTTAGGATGAAAAAATAGTAGAGGAAATGCTATTATCTTGACAGTACTAAATCAGAAAGCAACGGCTAACTATGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACATAGGTTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGTCTGTAGGTTGTTAGTTAAGTCTGGCGTCAAAACTTGGGGCTCAACCCCAAATCGCGTTGGATACTGGCTAACTAGAATTGTGTAGAGGTTAACGGAATTCCTTGTGAAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATAAGGAAGAACATCAACTTGGCGAAGGCAGTTAACTGGGCACATATTGACACTGAGAGACGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCGTAAACGATGATGATTAGCTGATGGGAACCATCGGCGCAGCTAACGCATTAAATCATCCGCCTGAGTAGTATGCTCGCAAGAGTGAAACTTAAAGGAATTGACGGGGATCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTTGAAGATACGCGTAGAACCTTACCCACTCTTGACATCTTCTGCAAAGCTATAGAGATATAGTGGAGGTTAACAGAATGACAGATGGTGCATGGTTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTCGGTTAAGTCCTGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTTATTCTTAGTTAAATATCCTAAGGAGACTGCCCGGGTAACTGGGAGGAAGGTGGGGACGACGTCAAATCATCATGCCTCTTACGAGTGGGGCAACACACGTGCTACAATGGAAGGTACAAAGAGAAGCAATATGGTGACATGGAGCAAATCTCAAAAAACCTTTCTCAGTTCGGATTGTAGTCTGCAACTCGACTACATGAAGTCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCTACGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGCTGGTAATGCCCGAAGTCGGTTTAGTCAACTACGGAGACAACTGCCTAAGGCAGGACTGGTGACTGGGGTGAAGTCGTAACAAGGT
Fig. 2. 16S rRNA gene sequence of Mycoplasma milvi Z331BT (Accession number: PP693561)
Fig. 3. Colonies of Mycoplasma milvi Z331BT on modified Hayflick’s agar after 4 days of incubation exhibiting characteristic fried egg morphology, a granulated surface, and irregular margins. Bar, 1 mm. Credits: Joachim Spergser (Vetmeduni Vienna)