Molecular epidemiologic features of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses.
Abstract: To characterize isolates of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from horses, cattle, and sheep in Colorado, Kentucky, Utah, and California in samples collected during perceived epidemics of infection (increased numbers of cases identified) in 2002 and 2003, and determine how closely isolates were related and their possible source. Methods: 54 isolates of C pseudotuberculosis from 49 horses, 4 cattle, and 1 sheep. Methods: Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, PCR assay for the gene encoding the phospholipase D (PLD) toxin, biochemical analyses, and tests for susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial drugs were performed. Results: All isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite, most yielded positive results for the PLD toxin gene, and all were susceptible to antimicrobial drugs. Ten genetic types were detected by use of RAPD PCR assay; types III to X were isolated from horses, cattle, or both in 1 or more states. Types III and IX were isolated from both horses and cattle. Types VII and VIII were isolated in only 1 state, but the number of isolates in these groups was small. In contrast, all other types were isolated in 2 or more states. All isolates from Utah were type III, but the other 3 states had isolates from more than 1 type. Conclusions: These data are consistent with a clonally expanding epidemic of infection in Utah and an increase in number of infections caused by multiple strains of C pseudotuberculosis not derived from a single source in the other states. The increase in number of infections could be the result of reporting bias, environmental factors facilitating infection, or host factors such as greater herd susceptibility.
Publication Date: 2005-01-06 PubMed ID: 15631043DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2004.65.1734Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article analyzes the molecular features of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, which was isolated from horses, cattle, and sheep in different locations during infection outbreak periods in 2002 and 2003. The researchers utilized various tests and methodologies for full characterization, concluding that the increase in infections might be due to a range of issues from reporting bias to environmental and host factors.
Methodology
- 54 isolates of C pseudotuberculosis were collected from 49 horses, 4 cattle, and 1 sheep in Colorado, Kentucky, Utah, and California in 2002 and 2003.
- The researchers performed the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay – a technology that allows scientists to generate an ‘amplified’ copy of a specific DNA sequence.
- The researchers also tested for the gene encoding the phospholipase D (PLD) toxin, carried out biochemical analyses, and tested the samples’ susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial drugs.
Results
- The researchers found that all isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite, a critical indication of bacterial metabolism and various enzymatic processes in the bacteria.
- Most of the isolates tested positive for the PLD toxin gene – a toxic enzyme produced by the bacteria which is essential for their pathogenicity.
- All isolates were susceptible to antimicrobial drugs, suggesting the potential effectiveness of these drugs in treating infections caused by these isolates.
- They detected ten genetic types using the RAPD PCR assay, with most of these spread across horses, cattle, and sheep in a variety of states. However, isolates in only one state displayed genetic types VII and VIII.
Conclusions
- The researchers concluded that the data indicated an expanding epidemic of infection due to clone III in Utah, and an increase of infections by other strains of C pseudotuberculosis in the remaining states that were not derived from a single source.
- The increase in the number of infections was attributed to potentially multiple factors. These could range from reporting bias and environmental factors which could facilitate infections, to host factors like increased herd susceptibility.
Cite This Article
APA
Foley JE, Spier SJ, Mihalyi J, Drazenovich N, Leutenegger CM.
(2005).
Molecular epidemiologic features of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses.
Am J Vet Res, 65(12), 1734-1737.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2004.65.1734 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle
- Cattle Diseases / epidemiology
- Cattle Diseases / microbiology
- Corynebacterium Infections / epidemiology
- Corynebacterium Infections / veterinary
- Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis / genetics
- Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis / isolation & purification
- DNA, Bacterial / genetics
- DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
- Drug Resistance, Microbial
- Genotype
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Phospholipase D / genetics
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique / veterinary
- Sheep
- Sheep Diseases / epidemiology
- Sheep Diseases / microbiology
- United States / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Meng W, Chen S, Huang L, Yang J, Zhang W, Zhong Z, Zhou Z, Liu H, Fu H, He T, Peng G. Isolation, characterization, and pathogenicity assessment of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi strains from alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in China. Front Microbiol 2023;14:1206187.
- Rifici C, Attili AR, De Biase D, Gonçalves Dos Santos R, Seyffert N, De Paula Castro TL, Pereira Figueiredo HC, Scaramozzino C, Reale S, Paciello O, Cuteri V, Spier SJ, Azevedo V, Mazzullo G. Atypical Multibacterial Granulomatous Myositis in a Horse: First Report in Italy. Vet Sci 2020 Apr 21;7(2).
- Viana MVC, Sahm A, Góes Neto A, Figueiredo HCP, Wattam AR, Azevedo V. Rapidly evolving changes and gene loss associated with host switching in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. PLoS One 2018;13(11):e0207304.
- Silva WM, Carvalho RDO, Dorella FA, Folador EL, Souza GHMF, Pimenta AMC, Figueiredo HCP, Le Loir Y, Silva A, Azevedo V. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Changes in the Benchmark Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Biovar Equi Exoproteome after Passage in a Murine Host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017;7:325.
- Silva WM, Folador EL, Soares SC, Souza GHMF, Santos AV, Sousa CS, Figueiredo H, Miyoshi A, Le Loir Y, Silva A, Azevedo V. Label-free quantitative proteomics of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates reveals differences between Biovars ovis and equi strains. BMC Genomics 2017 Jun 8;18(1):451.
- Selim SA, Mohamed FH, Hessain AM, Moussa IM. Immunological characterization of diphtheria toxin recovered from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Saudi J Biol Sci 2016 Mar;23(2):282-7.
- Barba M, Stewart AJ, Passler T, Wooldridge AA, van Santen E, Chamorro MF, Cattley RC, Hathcock T, Hogsette JA, Hu XP. Experimental transmission of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi in horses by house flies. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Mar-Apr;29(2):636-43.
- Dorneles EM, Santana JA, Ribeiro D, Dorella FA, Guimarães AS, Moawad MS, Selim SA, Garaldi AL, Miyoshi A, Ribeiro MG, Gouveia AM, Azevedo V, Heinemann MB, Lage AP. Evaluation of ERIC-PCR as genotyping method for Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates. PLoS One 2014;9(6):e98758.
- Norman TE, Batista M, Lawhon SD, Zhang S, Kuskie KR, Swinford AK, Bernstein LR, Cohen ND. In vitro susceptibility of equine-obtained isolates of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis to gallium maltolate and 20 other antimicrobial agents. J Clin Microbiol 2014 Jul;52(7):2684-5.
- Torres Lde F, Ribeiro D, Hirata R Jr, Pacheco LG, Souza MC, dos Santos LS, dos Santos CS, Salah M, Costa MM, Ribeiro MG, Selim SA, Azevedo VA, Mattos-Guaraldi AL. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction to identify and determine the toxigenicity of Corynebacterium spp with zoonotic potential and an overview of human and animal infections. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2013 May;108(3):272-9.
- Zadoks RN, Schukken YH. Use of molecular epidemiology in veterinary practice. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2006 Mar;22(1):229-61.
- Hiller E, Hörz V, Sting R. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis: Whole genome sequencing reveals unforeseen and relevant genetic diversity in this pathogen. PLoS One 2024;19(8):e0309282.
- Feßler AT, Schwarz S. Antimicrobial Resistance in Corynebacterium spp., Arcanobacterium spp., and Trueperella pyogenes. Microbiol Spectr 2017 Dec;5(6).
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