Culture of strategically pooled bovine fecal samples as a method to screen herds for paratuberculosis.

Fecal samples from 733 cows in 11 dairy herds with a low prevalence of paratuberculosis were cultured for the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis both individually and after combining (pooling) in groups of 5. The culture procedure was the modified Jorgensen method, which uses NaOH and oxalic acid for decontamination and modified Lowenstein-Jensen agar slants for cultivation. Pooling was performed by mixing fecal samples from 5 animals ordered by age, herein referred to as strategic pooling. Culture of individual fecal samples detected M. a. paratuberculosis infections in 43 of the 733 cows and 7 of 11 infected herds (herd sensitivity = 64%). Culture of pooled fecal samples detected M. a. paratuberculosis in 28 of 151 pooled samples representing 8 of the infected 11 herds (herd sensitivity = 73%). Feces of the 43 culture-positive cows was included in 32 pools: of these 32 pools, 26 were culture positive and 6 were culture negative. In addition to the 26 positive pools containing feces from cows that were found culture positive on individual fecal samples, another 2 pools were culture positive, although comprised of feces from cows with negative results after culture of individual fecal samples. From the total of 45 infected cows that were found (43 by individual fecal culture and an additional 2 by pooled fecal culture), individual fecal culture detected 43 of these 45 (96%), while pooled fecal culture detected 39 (87%). Culture of strategically pooled fecal samples using the modified Jorgensen method was equivalent in herd sensitivity to the culture of individual fecal samples and is significantly less expensive.     

Pooled polymerase chain reaction to detect Tritrichomonas foetus in beef bulls.

Preputial scraping samples from 305 mixed breed beef bulls were examined for the detection of Tritrichomonas foetus infection. All samples were collected by veterinarians and transported in commercial media to an accredited lab. Upon arrival samples underwent microscopic examination for the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus and were then incubated until 5 days postcollection before final microscopic examination. Culture detected 14 samples with Trichomonad spp.; all were confirmed to be Tritrichomonas foetus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After final examination samples were randomly placed in groups of 5 samples; technicians were blinded as to culture results of the individual samples constituting each pool. From each sample within a group, a portion of the fluid sediment was removed and pooled with the other samples of the group to form 61 pools. From each of the formed pools an aliquot was removed for PCR. PCR detected 16 positive pools; an additional 2 positive samples were then identified on individual PCR on samples previously diagnosed as culture negative. Relative to culture, the 95% confidence intervals for sensitivity and specificity of PCR pools to detect Tritrichomonas foetus were 76.8% to 100% (mean value: 100%) and 85.5 to 99.5% (mean value: 93.4%), respectively.     

Evaluation of microbial culture of pooled fecal samples for detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in large dairy herds

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sensitivity of microbial culture of pooled fecal samples for detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) in large dairy herds and assess the use of the method for estimation of MAP prevalence. ANIMALS: 1,740 lactating cows from 29 dairy herds in California. PROCEDURE: Serum from each cow was tested by use of a commercial ELISA kit. Individual fecal samples were cultured and used to create pooled fecal samples (10 randomly selected fecal samples/pool; 6 pooled samples/herd). Sensitivity of MAP detection was compared between Herrold's egg yolk (HEY) agar and a new liquid culture method. Bayesian methods were used to estimate true prevalence of MAP-infected cows and herd sensitivity. RESULTS: Estimated sensitivity for pooled fecal samples among all herds was 0.69 (25 culture-positive pools/36 pools that were MAP positive). Sensitivity increased as the number of culture-positive samples in a pool increased. The HEY agar method detected more infected cows than the liquid culture method but had lower sensitivity for pooled fecal samples. Prevalence of MAP-infected cows was estimated to be 4% (95% probability interval, 2% to 6%) on the basis of culture of pooled fecal samples. Herd-level sensitivity estimate ranged from 90% to 100% and was dependent on prevalence in the population and the sensitivity for culture of pooled fecal samples. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Use of pooled fecal samples from 10 cows was a cost-effective tool for herd screening and may provide a good estimate of the percentage of MAP-infected cows in dairy herds with a low prevalence of MAP.     

Rapid detection of Salmonella from poultry by real-time polymerase chain reaction with fluorescent hybridization probes

Detection of Salmonella by bacteriologic methods is known to be time consuming. Therefore, we have developed a real-time probe-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to rapidly detect Salmonella invA gene-based PCR products from chicken feces and carcasses by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. The sensitivity and the specificity of this system were determined as 3 colony-forming units ml(-1) and 100%, respectively. Overnight tetrathionate broth enrichment cultures of chicken feces and carcass samples were used in template preparation for PCR. Also, a standard bacteriology was performed (National Poultry Improvement Plan-U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bacteriological Analytical Manual-Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) for confirmation. Seventy-two cloacal swab, 147 intestine, and 50 carcass (neck) samples were examined. Thirteen (8.8%) and 25 (17%) of the intestinal samples were found to harbor Salmonella by bacteriology and PCR, respectively. Forty-five of 50 (90%) carcass samples were Salmonella positive by both methods. Salmonella was not detected from cloacal swab samples. Results indicate that this assay has the potential for use in routine monitoring and detection of Salmonella in infected flocks and carcasses.     

Evaluation of conventional PCR for detection of Strongylus vulgaris on horse farms

Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses. Of these, the bloodworm Strongylus vulgaris is regarded as most pathogenic. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in strongyle parasites has led to recommendations of decreased treatment intensities, and there is now a pronounced need for reliable tools for detection of parasite burdens in general and S. vulgaris in particular. The only method currently available for diagnosing S. vulgaris in practice is the larval culture, which is laborious and time-consuming, so veterinary practitioners most often pool samples from several horses together in one culture to save time. Recently, molecular tools have been developed to detect S. vulgaris in faecal samples. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with the traditional larval culture and furthermore test the performance of pooled versus individual PCR for farm screening purposes. Faecal samples were obtained from 331 horses on 18 different farms. Farm size ranged from 6 to 56 horses, and horses aged between 2 months and 31 years. Larval cultures and PCR were performed individually on all horses. In addition, PCR was performed on 66 faecal pools consisting of 3-5 horses each. Species-specific PCR primers previously developed were used for the PCR. PCR and larval culture detected S. vulgaris in 12.1 and 4.5% of individual horses, respectively. On the farm level, eight farms tested positive with the larval culture, while 13 and 11 farms were positive with the individual and pooled PCRs, respectively. The individual PCR method was statistically superior to the larval culture, while no statistical difference could be detected between pooled and individual PCR for farm screening. In conclusion, pooled PCR appears to be a useful tool for farm screening for S. vulgaris.     

Comparison of fecal culture and F57 real-time polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Swiss cattle herds with a history of paratuberculosis

Background

Bovine paratuberculosis is an incurable chronic granulomatous enteritis caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). The prevalence of MAP in the Swiss cattle population is hard to estimate, since only a few cases of clinical paratuberculosis are reported to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office each year.Fecal samples from 1,339 cattle (855 animals from 12 dairy herds, 484 animals from 11 suckling cow herds, all herds with a history of sporadic paratuberculosis) were investigated by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for shedding of MAP.

Results

By culture, MAP was detected in 62 of 445 fecal pools (13.9%), whereas PCR detected MAP in 9 of 445 pools (2.0%). All 186 samples of the 62 culture-positive pools were reanalyzed individually. By culture, MAP was grown from 59 individual samples (31.7%), whereas PCR detected MAP in 12 individual samples (6.5%), all of which came from animals showing symptoms of paratuberculosis during the study. Overall, MAP was detected in 10 out of 12 dairy herds (83.3%) and in 8 out of 11 suckling cow herds (72.7%).

Conclusions

There is a serious clinically inapparent MAP reservoir in the Swiss cattle population. PCR cannot replace culture to identify individual MAP shedders but is suitable to identify MAP-infected herds, given that the amount of MAP shed in feces is increasing in diseased animals or in animals in the phase of transition to clinical disease.     

LUX^TM荧光PCR快速检测沙门氏菌的研究

本研究针对沙门氏菌invA基因的保守序列,设计特异的LUX^TM荧光标记引物,通过优化反应奈件和参数,建立可快速检测沙门氏菌的LUX^TM荧光PCR检测方法。结果显示,该方法高度敏感,其对纯菌的检测低限达到10^2cfu／mL,经6h增菌培养后检测,对样品液的检测低限达到1cfu／mL;特异性强,测试的全部13株沙门氏菌标准和参考菌株均呈阳性反应,测试的全部27株非目标菌均呈阴性反应;重复性好,定量检测批内和批间的变异系数均小于2％。应用本方法检测食品样品240份,结果检出阳性4份,与TaqMan荧光PCR和SN标准检测结果完全一致。本方法可在8h内完成对样品中沙门氏菌的检测,其检测的快速性、敏感性和特异性与TaqMan荧光PCR技术相当,且检测成本较低。     

Identification of sources of Salmonella organisms in a veterinary teaching hospital and evaluation of the effects of disinfectants on detection of Salmonella organisms on surface materials

OBJECTIVE: To determine sources of Salmonella organisms in a veterinary teaching hospital, compare bacterial culture with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for detection of Salmonella organisms in environmental samples, and evaluate the effects of various disinfectants on detection of Salmonella organisms on surface materials. DESIGN: Prospective study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Fecal samples from 638 hospitalized horses and 783 environmental samples. PROCEDURE: Standard bacterial culture techniques were used; the PCR test amplified a segment of the Salmonella DNA. Five disinfectants were mixed with Salmonella suspensions, and bacterial culture was performed. Swab samples were collected from 7 surface materials after inoculation of the surfaces with Salmonella Typhimurium, with or without addition of a disinfectant, and submitted for bacterial culture and PCR testing. RESULTS: Salmonella organisms were detected in fecal samples from 35 (5.5%) horses. For environmental samples, the proportion of positive bacterial culture results (1/783) was significantly less than the proportion of positive PCR test results (110/783), probably because of detection of nonviable DNA by the PCR test. Detection of Salmonella organisms varied with the surface material tested, the method of detection (bacterial culture vs PCR testing), and the presence and type of disinfectant. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results of the present study suggested that Salmonella organisms can be isolated from feces of hospitalized horses and a variety of environmental surfaces in a large animal hospital. Although recovery of Salmonella organisms was affected by surface material and disinfectant, bleach was the most effective disinfectant on the largest number of surfaces tested.     

Influence of enrichment media and application of a PCR based method to detect Salmonella in poultry industry products and clinical samples.

To attempt the rapid detection of Salmonella enterica, we have coupled a culture procedure with PCR amplification of the genus-specific invE/invA genes. The method was applied to different kinds of samples from the poultry industry and evaluated by using hydrolyzed feather meal, meat meal, litter and viscera, all experimentally inoculated with a known number of Salmonella followed by cultivation in selenite--cystine broth prior to the PCR reaction. The expected 457bp specific DNA fragment could be amplified from dilutions containing as few as 5.7CFU, indicating that the PCR technique can be successfully coupled with culture in an enrichment broth to distinguish Salmonella species from other enteric bacteria present in samples from the poultry industry. Tetrathionate broth proved to be a much better enrichment media compared to selenite-cystine when the presence of Salmonella was evaluated by PCR in 1-day-old chicks experimentally infected with known numbers of Salmonella. Samples included cecal tonsils and viscera, collected at 48h and 7 days postinfection. The PCR technique was more sensitive in detecting infected animals than the standard microbiological procedure, which detected only 47% of all PCR positive samples.     

A DNA sequence capture extraction method for detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in feces and tissue samples

Culturing of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) remains difficult and is time consuming. An alternative for the rapid detection of Map in samples is PCR. We have developed a sensitive DNA-extraction method based on sequence capture for the rapid detection of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis by PCR in fecal and tissue samples. The method detected 10(2)Map/g feces using spiked samples, and reached a diagnostic sensitivity of 33,7% compared to 22% for culture. Analysis of tissue samples gave 65 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive (42.2%) and 49 culture-positive samples (31.8%). Therefore, the detection limit of the DNA-extraction is the same as previously reported for culture, the PCR assay could detect more positive samples than the culture method.     

PCR扩增invA基因特异性检测沙门氏菌

建立了扩增invA基因检测沙门氏菌的PCR方法。对收集的50个血清型123株沙门氏菌及7种27株非沙门氏菌进行PCR,2％琼脂糖电泳检查,结果所有沙门氏菌都扩增出了300bp的特异性产物,非沙门氏菌都未扩增出此目的条带。产物的特异性由slot blot杂交进一步证实。通过电泳判定结果,该法可检出扩增体系中10pg染色体DNA及10~2cfu的纽波特沙门氏菌50029。为下步克隆而设计的两个酶切点（Bam HI,Eco RI）对引物的特异性没有影响。本研究为沙门氏菌的检测提供了简洁、敏感、特异的新方法,同时为克隆invA基因做属特异性探针打下了基础。     

Evaluation of a PCR to detect Salmonella in fecal samples of horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital.

The diagnostic accuracy of a PCR used to identify horses shedding Salmonella spp. in their feces during hospitalization was estimated, relative to bacterial culture of serially collected fecal samples, using longitudinal data. Five or more fecal samples were collected from each of 116 horses admitted as inpatients, for reasons other than gastrointestinal disease, between July 26, 2001 and October 25, 2002. All 873 fecal samples collected were tested with a PCR based on oligonucleotide primers defining a highly conserved segment of the histidine transport operon gene of Salmonella typhimurium, and each sample was cultured for Salmonella spp. One or more samples from 87 (75%) horses were PCR positive, and Salmonella was cultured from 1 or more samples from 11 (9.5%) horses. All culture-positive horses had at least 1 PCR-positive result, whereas only 29 (28%) culture-negative horses were PCR negative on all fecal samples tested. The PCR was most specific, relative to bacterial culture of serially collected fecal samples, when used to test samples from Quarterhorse or breeds other than Thoroughbred or Standardbred, or from clinical (vs. healthy, accompanying horses) cases. Overall, the PCR had the greatest agreement (70%), compared with bacterial culture of serially collected fecal samples, using a cutoff of 2 or more positive PCR test results to define a Salmonella-positive horse. The reasons why some fecal samples, from which Salmonella organisms cannot be isolated, are PCR positive need to be determined before the PCR can be incorporated into Salmonella surveillance programs for hospitalized equine populations.     

沙门氏菌LAMP快速检测方法的建立

为实现沙门氏菌的快速检测,根据沙门氏菌特异性invE、hilA、invA、hut基因编码区序列,分别设计合成4套引物,通过对引物筛选和反应条件优化,建立了以invA特异性基因设计合成为引物的沙门氏菌环介导等温扩增检测方法。本方法对沙门氏菌定性检测灵敏度可达到101CFU/mL (细菌浓度),其灵敏度比普通PCR高10倍且反应结果易于观察。以6种沙门氏菌和8种非沙门氏菌细菌DNA为模板进行LAMP扩增检测,并无交叉反应。结果显示,设计的LAMP引物组和建立的沙门氏菌的LAMP检测方法具有特异性好、灵敏度高、快速、费用低廉等优点,可应用于动物和食品样品中肠道沙门氏菌6个亚种的快速检测。     

A comparison of pooled and individual bird sampling for detection of Salmonella in commercial egg laying flocks

The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity of culturing pooled samples containing varying numbers of individual droppings for detection of Salmonella in commercial egg-laying flocks relative to the within-flock prevalence. A laboratory experiment was performed to directly measure the effect of diluting positive with negative faeces on the sensitivity of detection, and thus provide priors for a Bayesian model of pooled sampling. Pooled samples made up of different numbers of individual faecal droppings were collected from 20 flocks, and in addition bulked faeces and dust were also sampled using an in-house method that involved collecting 10 dust and 10 faeces samples into jars with buffered peptone water. The results from these flocks were analysed using Bayesian methods for diagnostic test evaluation in the absence of a gold standard, and the sensitivity of each pooled sample type was estimated relative to the within-flock prevalence. The sensitivity of pooled samples depended on the within-flock prevalence, and increased as the prevalence increased. The sensitivity of pooled sampling tended to increase with the number of droppings in the pool, and overall there was a higher proportion of positive samples from the pools of 20, 60 and the in-house faeces pooling method compared to the pools of 10, 5 and the individual droppings. Dust samples were more sensitive than the faeces samples, and so the inclusion of dust in sampling schemes is recommended.     

沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌O157:H7双重荧光PCR检测方法的研究

目的建立一种能同时检测沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌O157:H7的双重荧光PCR方法,应用于动物源性食品的快速检验。方法根据沙门氏菌invA基因和大肠杆菌O157:H7 RFBE基因的保守序列,设计引物和探针,通过优化反应条件,建立可同时检测沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌O157:H7的双重荧光PCR方法,应用于动物源性食品的检验,并与miniVIDAS快速初筛方法和SN标准方法进行比较。结果本研究建立的双重荧光PCR方法可同时快速检测沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌O157:H7,对纯菌的检测灵敏度均低于10CFU/双重荧光PCR反应体系。应用本方法检测36株标准/参考菌株,结果只有9株目的菌标准/参考菌株出现特异性扩增,其余27株非目的菌均呈阴性反应。定量检测重复性试验结果,批内和批间的变异系数均小于2%。应用本方法检测人工染菌样品,结果与miniVIDAS和SN方法检测结果一致,但检测时间比miniVIDAS快了3倍,比SN标准快了10多倍。结论本研究建立的双重荧光PCR方法具有快速、灵敏、特异、重复性好的优点,可在8小时内完成样品沙门氏菌和大肠杆菌O157:H7的检验。     

Comparison of DNA isolation methods and detection of Salmonella spp. from animal faeces and dust using invA real-time PCR

There is a strong interest to reduce the expenditure for the detection of Salmonella spp. from animal faeces and environmental samples from primary production according to ISO 6579:2002 Annex D by including a rapid and effective method to detect Salmonella spp. already after pre-enrichment in BPW. It has been shown that real-time PCR methods are very effective to detect Salmonella organisms after pre-enrichment of foods. However, materials from primary animal production compose of much higher amounts of substances which might inhibit the sensitivity of real-time PCR. Different techniques of DNA isolation after pre-enrichment of artificially inoculated bovine faecal material were used to compare their detection limit and detection probability using an invA 5' nuclease real-time PCR approach. A detection probability of 100% was shown at 10(5) cfu/ml using the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germany), at 10(4) cfu/ml using the High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit (Roche, Germany) and at 10(3) cfu/ml using thermal cell lysis or an in-house lab protocol, respectively. In comparison DNA isolation by thermal cell lysis revealed a very good detection limit, low costs and almost no risks of contamination. Furthermore, caecal contents from pigs were analysed by ISO 6579:2002 Annex D and the invA real-time PCR using thermal cell lysis for DNA extraction. As a result neither false positive nor false negative findings were obtained. Inclusion of the real-time PCR after pre-enrichment of samples in BPW followed by bacterial detection of Salmonella only with samples positive with real-time PCR might be a valuable tool to fulfil the international standard of ISO 6579:2002 Annex D but also to diminish the expenditures. However, it must be stated that the modification of an international standard method and its use in routine diagnostic requires the validation and registration of national and/or international competent authorities.     

Polymerase chain reaction detection of Salmonella spp. in fecal samples of pet birds

The aims of this study were 1) to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in clinically ill birds in aviaries in Ankara, Turkey, and 2) to compare conventional culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Salmonella in feces from clinically ill pet birds. In the study, 185 fecal samples (feces and/or swabs) collected from the pet birds kept in the seven different aviaries in the city of Ankara were investigated for the existence of Salmonella spp. by bacterial isolation and PCR. The conventional isolation and identification methods were performed for Salmonella isolation from fecal cultures. Suspected colonies were confirmed with the Salmonella polyvalent O antiserum and serogrouped with Salmonella group-specific antiserum. PCR was performed after the fecal swabs were incubated for 18 hr in 10 ml of tetrathionate broth. Three (1.63%) out of 185 fecal samples were found to harbor Salmonella spp. by conventional identification tests and were found to belong to serogroup B. Five (2.7%) swab samples were found to harbor Salmonella DNA by PCR tests. As a conclusion, PCR following incubation of clinical samples in pre-enrichment broth seemed to be a fast and practicable method for Salmonella spp. diagnosis when compared to protracted labor-intensive conventional culture techniques.     

Impact of invA-PCR and culture detection methods on occurrence and survival of salmonella in the flesh, internal organs and lymphoid tissues of experimentally infected pigs

This study evaluated the suitability of invA gene amplification by PCR as an effective means of detecting Salmonella species in pigs experimentally infected with S. Typhimurium DT104. A controlled infection study using 24 pigs was performed in order to compare efficacy, precision and detection rates of the invA-based PCR method originally described by Rahn, K. De Grandis, S.A., Clarke, R.C., McEwan, S.A., Galan, J.E., Ginocchio, C., Curtiss, R. 3rd, C.L. Gyles, (Mol. Cell. Probes 1992; 6: 271-279) as a new in-house invA-based PCR method for the specific detection of Salmonella spp. in pork and different tissue samples of slaughter pigs. Finally, PCR results were compared with culture detection rates obtained by isolation procedures following the ISO 6579:2000, the 'gold standard'. After slaughtering, 14 different tissue samples of each pig were investigated to verify the usefulness of the two invA-based PCR methods in different matrices of slaughter pigs. The results demonstrate that the application of the widely used invA-based primer pair (139 + 141) may result in questionable products if samples gained from selective enrichment in the Rappaport-Vassiliadis medium were investigated. These questionable products can lead to false-positive results, if no additional hybridization procedure is attached or if unspecialized persons use this method in routine laboratory practice. The newly developed in-house PCR method used is based on the 3'-prime region of invA, especially designed and harmonized for the detection of Salmonella in different matrices of slaughtered pigs after bacterial enriched broth culture. In this study, this PCR revealed no questionable products and, furthermore, the specificity of the amplificate could be tested by means of the restriction enzyme NdeI. In comparison with the culture detection procedure, the new PCR method has a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96%. Thus, this method might be used as a meaningful tool in eliminating Salmonella-positive carcasses at slaughterhouse level and thus, keeping them out of the food chain.     

A PCR assay used to study aerosol transmission of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae from samples of live pigs under experimental conditions

The study describes a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. The test is based on the amplification of the omlA gene coding for an outer membrane protein of A. pleuropneumoniae. To test the specificity of the reaction, 19 other bacterial species related to A. pleuropneumoniae or isolated from pigs were assayed. They were all found negative in the PCR assay. The detection threshold of the test was 10(2) A. pleuropneumoniae CFU/assay. The test was then applied to the detection of A. pleuropneumoniae from tonsillar biopsies and tracheobronchial lavage fluids of pigs without a culture step. The detection of A. pleuropneumoniae in these samples was performed by PCR, by conventional culture and by bacteriology with immunomagnetic beads. The number of samples that were found positive by PCR was almost three times higher than the number of samples from which A. pleuropneumoniae was isolated by both bacteriological techniques. The detection of A. pleuropneumoniae in these samples allowed us to demonstrate its aerosol transmission to pigs under experimental conditions. The trial involved 18 specific pathogen free pigs. Six pigs, infected with A. pleuropneumoniae, were located in a unit A, together with four non-infected animals (contact pigs). Eight non-infected pigs (reporter pigs) were located in a unit B, adjacent to A. We detected A. pleuropneumoniae in samples from infected animals but also from 'contact' (unit A) and 'reporter' (unit B) pigs. The results of this study show that the simple preparation of the samples followed by the PCR assay may be a useful tool for epidemiological studies.     

Comparison of real-time PCR with conventional PCR and culture to assess the efficacy of a live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium vaccine against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis in commercial leghorn chicks vaccinated under field and laboratory conditions

The efficacy of a live attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium Megan Vac 1 vaccine (MV1) was evaluated against Salmonella Enteritidis in chicken pullets with the use of PCR and culture methods. Two hundred Hyline W-32 white leghorn chicks were obtained from a local hatchery and divided into four treatment groups. Two of the groups served as positive and negative controls. The MV1 vaccine was administered to the chicks in the remaining two groups at 1 and 35 days old by either the coarse spray (field) or the oral route (laboratory) method. The chicks were challenged with a high dose of a Salmonella Enteritidis strain at 10 wk old and euthanatized 3 days postinoculation. Samples for PCR analysis were collected prior to enrichment, after pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water (BPW) and after primary enrichment from the ceca, liver, and spleen. None of the samples tested yielded positive results for the Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine strain by either the culture or PCR methods. Results from the standard culture method showed that vaccinating the birds with MV1 reduced the counts of Salmonella Enteritidis recovered from the challenged birds. In addition, fewer pre-enriched samples tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis among the challenged groups that were vaccinated when compared to the unvaccinated challenged group. Under the conditions of this study, MV1 was unable to prevent colonization of other internal organs such as the liver and spleen. Real-time PCR was significantly more sensitive than conventional PCR (C-PCR) prior to enrichment, but after enrichment the sensitivities of the two methods were similar. Enrichment significantly increased the sensitivity of both PCR methods for the detection of Salmonella Enteritidis in cecal samples, but did not significantly increase the sensitivity for detection of Salmonella Enteritidis in liver and spleen samples that were pre-enriched in BPW. There was no significant difference between the laboratory or field vaccination methods with respect to either the prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis isolation or the bacterial loads in culture-positive samples. Collectively, the data suggest that MV1 offered some protection against Salmonella Enteritidis in commercial layer chick pullets under the conditions of this study. Given the labor and time required to perform the C-PCR and culture methods, the real-time PCR method may prove to be a more useful method to use in diagnostics.