Campylobacter sputorum subsp mucosalis and Campylobacter hyointestinalis infections in the intestine of gnotobiotic pigs

At 4 days of age, 7 gnotobiotic pigs were orally inoculated with broth cultures of both Campylobacter sputorum subsp mucosalis (CSM) and Campylobacter hyointestinalis (CH). One pig was killed and evaluated each week for 7 weeks. Forty-eight hours after inoculation, CH and CSM were recovered from the feces of the pigs; thereafter, only CH was recovered. Organisms morphologically typical of Campylobacter sp were observed on the mucosal surface and on the crypt epithelial cells of the ileum, cecum, and colon from post-inoculation weeks (PIW) 2 through 7. Bacteria were clustered around the surface opening of goblet cells in pigs at PIW 6 and 7. Crypt epithelial cell proliferation and intracellular bacteria were not seen, except in 1 pig (killed at PIW 7) in which intracellular bacteria were seen only in the cecum. Therefore, CSM and CH did not induce porcine proliferative enteritis in gnotobiotic pigs.     

Experimental infection of neonatal pigs with Campylobacter sputorum subspecies mucosalis with special reference to the oral cavity

After oral exposure Campylobacter sputorum subsp. mucosalis became established in the mouth of piglets for up to eight weeks. C. sputorum subsp. mucosalis was not isolated from the same pigs each week, although some pigs were positive for a number of consecutive weeks. Spread also took place from orally dosed piglets to an undosed litter mate maintained with them. Other catalase negative, serologically distinct Campylobacters were also demonstrated in the oral cavity.     

Bovine diarrhea associated with Campylobacter hyointestinalis

An enteric disease affected 16 ruminating calves. The disease was characterized by a nonspecific, mild to severe diarrhea and wasting. Two calves died during the course of disease. C. hyointestinalis was isolated from 12 to 14 calves. The antibody titers of affected calves to C. hyointestinalis varied from 1:20 to 1:160. The disease was successfully treated with chloramphenicol.     

Electrophoretic patterns of serum proteins in blue foxes with special reference to changes associated with nosematosis.

The serum proteins in 1 group of healthy breeders, 1 group of healthy pups and 4 groups of foxes suffering from various diseases were separated electrophoretically on cellulose acetate membranes. In most of the sera, the proteins were separated into 1 albumin fraction and 5 globulin fractions designated alpha₁, alpha₂, alpha₃, beta and gamma. The mean concentrations of the total proteins and the various serum fractions in the disease groups were compared statistically with the mean values of the normal groups.A nosematosis group was characterized by a distinct hypergammaglobulinaemia together with an increase in the total protein — and a decrease in the albumin concentrations. However, in 2 cubs recovering from nosematosis the hypergammaglobulinaemia was shown to be reversible.In a feed intoxication group the concentration of albumin was found to be lower and the alpha₃-globulin higher than the corresponding values in the healthy group. A virus hepatitis group was characterized by a decrease in the concentrations of albumin and beta-globulin and an increase in the alpha₁- and alpha₃-globulins. In the toxoplasmosis group the total protein and alpha₁- and alpha₃-globulins showed concentrations below the normal values.     

Infection of established cell lines with Campylobacter mucosalis

Campylobacter mucosalis (CM) and other Campylobacter spp. mainly from cases of the porcine proliferative enteropathies were used to infect cell line cultures. CM attached to and persisted intracellularly in PK (15), MDBK, BHK, HeLa, INT-407 and other cells; in PK (15) this infection resulted in a marked cytopathic effect and total destruction of the cell culture in 10 days. MDBK, INT-407, BHK and HeLa cultures were more resistant to the effects of infection. CM did not adhere to Vero, LLCMK₂ or CEF cells and no cytopathic changes took place. The other Campylobacter spp tested did not attach to cell cultures and cell death occurred within 4 days. Attempts to passage CM were unsuccessful due to a decrease in the number of bacteria at each passage.     

Behaviour of Campylobacter sputorum subspecies mucosalis in gnotobiotic pigs

Gnotobiotic pigs were dosed orally with Campylobacter sputorum subspecies mucosalis, either alone, or combined with rotavirus or non-pathogenic Escherichia coli and Streptococcus bovis to study the behaviour of C s mucosalis in defined conditions, to assess intracellular parasitism of enterocytes by C s mucosalis, and if possible to establish an experimental model of porcine intestinal adenomatosis. C s mucosalis colonised the gut of gnotobiotic pigs, persisting for up to 47 days after infection, but did not induce adenomatosis. Despite evidence of limited penetration of the mucosa up to two days after infection, the majority of C s mucosalis remained in the gut lumen. Rotavirus did not enhance invasion of enterocytes by C s mucosalis. The presence of E coli and S bovis caused an increase in the total numbers of C s mucosalis in the gut, but did not affect their distribution. Thus C s mucosalis was largely non-pathogenic in gnotobiotic pigs.     

The first isolations of Campylobacter mucosalis from pigs in South Africa

The first isolations of Campylobacter mucosalis in South Africa are described. Isolations were made from a 6-week-old weaner pig with necrotic enteritis and from 2 gingival swabs of suckling piglets from herds with histories of porcine intestinal adenomatosis. The isolates were serologically identified as being serotype A strains.     

Southern blot analysis of strain variation in Campylobacter mucosalis.

A panel of three DNA probes were derived at random from a genomic DNA library of Campylobacter mucosalis strain E8384-4. Each probe hybridized specifically to C. mucosalis DNA from bacteria fixed to nylon membranes. The probes did not hybridize to DNA from other Campylobacter species or to other bacteria even at 100-fold higher amounts. Each probe hybridized to all of 24 isolates of C. mucosalis which had been collected over time from different geographic locations. Southern blot analysis of selected C. mucosalis isolates was carried out to determine if the probes would be useful for differentiating among various isolates. It indicated that restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) exist at the loci identified by our probes. These differences were used to characterize seven C. mucosalis isolates recovered from pigs in Minnesota. The results suggest that RFLP analysis may be a useful tool for epidemiological studies of C. mucosalis.     

The isolation of Campylobacter hyointestinalis from a pig in South Africa

The isolation of a strain of Campylobacter hyointestinalis from a piglet is described. The animal originated from a farm where another animal showed signs of intestinal adenomatosis. The animal from which the isolation was made had diarrhoea, and an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli was also isolated. No pathological changes indicative of intestinal adenomatosis were detected in this animal.