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M. BOVIS, REPEAT OFFENDER

If that was me, I’d be quick to cut my hair short, dye it gray, grow a distracting moustache and change my clothes. That’d throw the heat off for a while. The “known associates” part may be a bit harder to manage.

Mycoplasma bovis behaves similarly. Like all pathogens, M. bovis “wears” distinctive antigen proteins on its cell surface. When the animal’s immune system recognizes those antigens as potentially dangerous, it circulates the suspect’s description and recruits antibodies to apprehend it. But M. bovis is trickier than most microbes. It can switch which antigens it displays – it can change its clothes. This delays the immune system from recognizing it and allows M. bovis to continue its crime spree throughout the animal, potentially resulting in chronic pneumonia and arthritis.

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Growing Fast! Comparing Our Suffolk & Dorset Lambs

Video: Growing Fast! Comparing Our Suffolk & Dorset Lambs

Comparing Suffolk and Dorset lambs today! Lambing season is winding down at Ewetopia Farms, giving us the perfect opportunity to check in on how all our lambs are growing! Today, we take a closer look at the different age groups from waves one and two of this year's lambing season, comparing the growth and traits of our Suffolk and Dorset lambs. It’s amazing to see their progress! Join us on our working sheep farm in Ontario, Canada for a cuteness overload as we get up close and personal with these adorable, fast-growing lambs.