Pasteurellaceae isolated from tonsillar samples of commercially-reared American bison (Bison bison).

As commercial producers of American bison (Bison bison) become more numerous, concerns relative to bison health management increase. Since loss due to respiratory disease associated with Pasteurella and related Pasteurellaceae is a major concern for cattle producers, a study was conducted to determine what types of Pasteurellaceae are carried by bison to evaluate the potential of pneumonic pasteurellosis in bison herds where management practices are comparable to those used for cattle. Tonsillar biopsies, collected in May (n = 29) and August (n = 25) 1997 from 24- to 30-month-old bison bulls, at the time of slaughter were cultured for Pasteurellaceae. Pasteurella spp. were isolated from all the samples collected in May. These included isolates identified as P. haemolytica, trehalosi, testudinis, and multocida subsp. multocida a and multocida b. Actinobacillus spp. and Haemophilus somnus were also isolated from some samples. Pasteurella spp., haemolytica, trehalosi, and multocida subsp. multocida a, multocida b and septica, plus 2 nonspeciated indole-positive biotypes, U2 and U16, were isolated from the second group of tonsil samples. Most of these organisms, including P. haemolytica, P. multocida subsp., and H. somnus are associated with disease in domestic livestock and should be regarded as potential pathogens for bison, particularly in animals which become stressed by management practices commonly used with cattle such as herding, crowding, and shipping.     

Seasonal incidence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Pasteurellaceae isolated from American bison (Bison bison).

Ninety pharyngeal tonsils were collected from 2-year-old American bison (Bison bison) bulls and sampled for members of the Pasteurellaceae family. Particular attention was paid to seasonal incidence and antimicrobial resistance in serotypes and biovariants. Multiple strains of Pasteurella haemolytica (39%), P. trehalosi (68%), P. multocida (34%) and Haemophilus somnus (13%) were cultured from 86 out of the 90 (96%) tonsil samples. Pasteurella trehalosi was the most common and evenly distributed of the organisms recovered. Pasteurella haemolytica was found in fewer numbers than P. trehalosi, but showed an increase in number of isolates recovered with each sampling period. Pasteurella multocida, both A and D capsular types, was recovered from all sampling periods. No serotype pattern was observed in any of the animal groups sampled. One hundred twenty-seven of 147 (86%) of the isolates were resistant to at least 1 antibiotic, 95/147 (65%) to at least 2 different antibiotics, and 16/147 (11%) to at least 3 antibiotics. The most common resistance pattern observed was to neomycin and spectinomycin (73/147) (49%).     

Bacterial Identity and Characteristics in Healthy and Unhealthy Respiratory Tracts of Sheep and Calves

Barbour, E.K., Nabbut, N.H., Hamadeh, S.K. and Al-Nakhli, H.M., 1997. Bacterial identity and characteristics in healthy and unhealthy respiratory tracts of sheep and calves. Veterinary Research Communications, 21 (6), 421-430The aim of this study was to compare different bacteriological aspects of the respiratory systems of healthy (H) versus unhealthy (UH) animals with respiratory signs. The prevalence of different bacterial species was determined in the upper and lower respiratory tract of H and UH Najdi sheep, Somali sheep and Holstein calves. The characteristics of Pasteurella spp. isolates, and the biotype of Pasteurella haemolytica were identified in H and UH animals. Eighteen out of 28 (64.3%) of the identified bacterial species in the upper respiratory tract were more prevalent in the nasal cavities of UH Najdi and Somali sheep and Holstein calves with respiratory signs than in apparently healthy animals; four of the most prevalent bacteria in the upper respiratory system of UH sheep were Moraxella spp., Pseudomonas pseudomallei, Erysipelothrix spp., and Pasteurella multocida, while three of the most prevalent bacteria in UH calves were Pasturella haemolytica, Actinomyces spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The prevalence of six different bacterial species was greater in the lungs of UH animals, namely Actinomyces pyogenes, Erysipelothrix spp., P. haemolytica, Pasteurella ureae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, which could be risk factors in the complexity of the prevalent respiratory diseases of the animals surveyed.Of the biochemical, cytological and colonial characteristics studied in the identified P. haemolytica and P. multocida, two characters were significantly different (p < 0.05) in organisms isolated from UH as compared to those from H animals. These were the higher loss of haemolytic power by the strains of P. haemolytica and the decreased fermentation of trehalose by all the strains of P. multocida recovered from healthy animals.The only biotype of P. haemolytica isolated from H animals was biotype A, while both biotypes A (88.0% of the isolates) and T (12.0% of the isolates) were recovered from UH animals.     

Use of a polymerase chain reaction method to detect the leukotoxin gene lktA in biogroup and biovariant isolates of Pasteurella haemolytica and P trehalosi

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Pasteurella haemolytica and P trehalosi isolates possess the structural gene for Pasteurella leukotoxin lktA and whether beta-hemolytic activity of these isolates correlated with detection of the lktA gene. SAMPLE POPULATION: 147 P haemolytica isolates from 21 biovariant groups and 101 P trehalosi isolates from 7 biovariant groups. In addition, P multocida and organisms from 7 other genera were tested to establish specificity of the procedure. PROCEDURE: Isolates were observed for beta-hemolysis. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was used to amplify the RTX domain of the Pasteurella lktA gene. RESULTS: The lktA gene was detected in 108 (44%) isolates, including 15 associated with respiratory tract disease. All but 2 (98%) of the isolates that had the lktA gene were beta-hemolytic when grown on sheep blood agar. The remaining 140 isolates were negative for the lktA gene and hemolytic activity. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hemolytic activity of P haemolytica and P trehalosi isolates correlated with detection of the lktA gene for all but 2 isolates. However, 56% of isolates tested were negative for the lktA gene and beta-hemolytic activity. Leukotoxin production and secretion is a major virulence factor when other conditions are favorable for disease development. Therefore, identification of strains that possess the lktA gene may aid in the evaluation of the pathogenic potential of Pasteurella strains carried by wild and domestic animals.     

Serotypes of Pasteurella haemolytica and Pasteurella trehalosi isolated from farm animals in Hungary.

The biochemical and serological characteristics of 486 P. haemolytica and 31 P. trehalosi strains (517 in total) isolated from different lesions of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry were examined. A total of 476 P. haemolytica strains (97.9%) showed the characteristics typical of the former biotype A of P. haemolytica, while 10 isolates (2.1%), all from poultry, could not be biotyped. A total of 481 strains (93.0%) could be assigned to one of the 17 serotypes of P. haemolytica-P. trehalosi and 36 strains (7.0%) could not. The majority (83.6%) of the cattle isolates were serotypes A1 and A2. Among strains isolated from sheep all serotypes of P. haemolytica could be identified with the exception of A14, but serotypes A1, A2, A6, A8 and A5 were the most frequent. The overwhelming majority (94%) of the caprine isolates were A2, other serotypes occurred only sporadically. The pig isolates, which could be isolated only very rarely, represented different serotypes, while none of the 10 strains isolated from poultry could be biotyped or serotyped.     

Serological and molecular comparison of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella trehalosi strains isolated from wild and domestic ruminants in the French Alps

Over a period of 17 years, 84 bacterial isolates identified as Mannheimia haemolytica or M. glucosida, and 52 isolates identified as Pasteurella trehalosi were detected in the lungs of domestic and wild ruminants in the French Alps. The isolates were serotyped according to their surface capsular antigens, and those sharing common antigens were further characterized by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. The results showed that the bacterial isolates included in the study clustered according to the host species from which they were isolated. These findings indicate that the transmission of serotypes of M. haemolytica, M. glucosida or P. trehalosi from an animal host in which they are common to another species sharing the same geographical space may be a rare epidemiological event.     

Microorganisms associated with a pneumonic epizootic in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis).

A comprehensive study of a pneumonic epizootic was initiated when the first signs of disease were noted in a metapopulation of bighorn sheep inhabiting Hells Canyon, bordering Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. A total of 92 bighorn sheep were tested for etiologic agents during the following 6-mo study period. The study population included bighorn sheep believed to be the subpopulation in which disease was first noted, and these sheep were translocated to a holding facility in an effort to contain the disease (group A1, n = 72); bighorn sheep in other subpopulations (group A2) with evidence of clinical disease were captured, sampled, given antibiotics, and released (n = 8) and those that were found dead were necropsied (n = 12). Samples, including oropharyngeal and nasal swabs, and lung and liver tissue were collected from the bighorn sheep identified above. Tissue was collected at necropsy from 60 group A1 bighorn sheep that died following translocation, and samples were cultured for bacteria and viruses. Blood samples were tested for antibodies against known respiratory viruses, and histopathology was conducted on tissue samples. The major cause of death in both group A1 and group A2 bighorn sheep was a rapidly developing fibrinous bronchopneumonia. Multiple biovariants of Pasteurella were isolated from oropharyngeal and nasal samples from both groups, and Mycoplasma ovipneumonia was isolated from five group A1 oropharyngeal samples. Organisms isolated from lung tissue included Pasteurella multocida multocida a and Pasteurella trehalosi, both of which differentiated into multiple strains by restriction enzyme analysis, and parainfluenza-3 virus (PI-3). Paired serum samples revealed > fourfold increases in titers against PI-3 and bovine respiratory syncytial viruses. It was concluded that this epizootic resulted from a complex of factors including multiple potential respiratory pathogens, none of which were identified as a primary pathogen, and possible stress factors.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of respiratory tract pathogens from sheep and goats

OBJECTIVE: To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of common respiratory tract pathogens from sheep and goats. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 41 respiratory tract isolates from sheep and 36 isolates from goats. PROCEDURES: Disk diffusion assay was used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftiofur, ciprofloxacin, florfenicol, and tetracycline. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of florfenicol for these isolates were determined by use of the microbroth dilution technique. RESULTS: The most common isolates were Pasteurella multocida (n = 28) and Mannheimia haemolytica (39). All isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftiofur, ciprofloxacin, and florfenicol. Five percent (4/77) of isolates were resistant to tetracycline. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Susceptibility of respiratory tract pathogens isolated from sheep and goats to commonly used antimicrobial drugs in this study was high. Treatment of these species for bacterial respiratory tract disease is likely not complicated by antimicrobial resistance.     

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and sensitivity to tulathromycin in goat respiratory bacterial isolates

Bacterial pneumonia is a common and often life-threatening respiratory problem in both meat and dairy goats. Options for approved antibiotic therapy in goats to combat these bacterial infections are severely limited and frequently drugs must be used in an extra-label manner. Tulathromycin, a triamilide macrolide antimicrobial drug shown to be effective against swine and cattle respiratory bacterial agents, has been identified as a potentially useful drug in caprines. The present study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of recognized bacterial respiratory pathogens to commonly prescribed antimicrobials, with a particular emphasis on the efficacy of tulathromycin against these agents. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing using microbroth dilution was performed on a collection of 45 Mannheimia haemolytica, 11 Pasteurella multocida, and 11 Bibersteinia trehalosi isolates from the lungs of goats with clinical pneumonia. To further characterize efficacy of tulathromycin against these pathogens, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) testing and kinetic killing assays were conducted. Most isolates were susceptible to the antimicrobials tested; however, increased resistance as demonstrated by higher MIC values was seen in all species to penicillin, in P. multocida to sulfadimethoxine, and in B. trehalosi to the tetracyclines. All isolates were susceptible to tulathromycin, which demonstrated a high killing efficiency in both bactericidal assays. Results of this study indicate that most goat pneumonic bacterial pathogens remain susceptible to commonly prescribed antibiotics, although some evidence of resistance was seen to certain drugs; and that tulathromycin is highly effective against goat respiratory pathogens which could make it a valuable medication in this species.     

Polymerase chain reaction techniques for differentiating cytotoxic and noncytotoxic Pasteurella trehalosi from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods for differentiating cytotoxic and noncytotoxic Pasteurella trehalosi from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis). SAMPLE POPULATION: 23 isolates of P. trehalosi from bighorn sheep in Colorado, including 18 from free-ranging herds and 5 from a captive herd. PROCEDURE: Using a sequence of the leukotoxin gene region of P. haemolytica serotype 1, 7 PCR primers were designed. A PCR amplification was performed on a sample of bacterial cell suspensions from pure cultures of P. trehalosi with known in vitro cytotoxic effects. The 2 most promising primer pairs were used in a study of 23 P. trehalosi isolates. Results were analyzed for association with cytotoxicity and 3 distinct ribotypes (Eco, Aco, and Bco). RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between in vitro cytotoxicity and PCR results for coding region, between ribotype Eco classification and PCR results for coding region, and between ribotype Eco classification and PCR results for promoter region. There was a negative association between ribotype Aco classification and PCR results for coding and promoter regions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The PCR for the leukotoxin A coding region may be useful in differentiating cytotoxic from noncytotoxic P. trehalosi isolates recovered from bighorn sheep. It may be useful for studying epidemiologic features of pasteurellosis in bighorn sheep and for designing vaccines to protect wild sheep against pneumonia caused by P. trehalosi and P. haemolytica.     

Pasteurella species isolated from the bovine respiratory tract and their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns

Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A, serotype 1 (P haemolytica A1) was the most commonly isolated Pasteurella species from 80 calves examined at necropsy from 40 outbreaks of respiratory disease, the majority of which were pathologically confirmed as bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis (transit fever; shipping fever). Similarly, nasopharyngeal swabs from in-contact and apparently healthy calves indicated the widespread presence of P haemolytica A1. Pasteurella multocida and other serotypes of P haemolytica A1 were found including six isolations of P haemolytica T10, a fairly common pathogen in sheep. Approximately two-thirds of the isolates were tested for their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns and the degree of sensitivity for P haemolytica A1, the most frequently isolated serotype, was chloramphenicol (100 per cent), sulphamethoxazole trimethoprim (98 per cent), oxytetracycline (80 per cent), ampicillin (85 per cent), penicillin (82 per cent), streptomycin (3 per cent) and lincomycin (1 per cent).     

Phenotypic characterisation of Australian sheep and cattle isolates of Mannheimia haemolytica,Mannheimia granulomatis and Mannheimia varigena

OBJECTIVE: To perform a comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of 35 isolates of bacteria previously identified as haemolytic Pasteurella-Actinobacillus and obtained from cattle and sheep. DESIGN: The 35 isolates that had been obtained from Australian animals, 30 from cattle and five from sheep, were compared with reference strains of the five recognised species of the genus Mannheimia--M. haemolytica, M. glucosida, M. granulomatis, M. ruminalis and M. varigena. RESULTS: Thirty-four of the isolates could be confidently assigned to three species of the genus Mannheimia. Twenty-nine were M. haemolytica, with 25 being isolated from cattle and four from sheep. All but three of the bovine M. haemolytica were isolated from pneumonic lungs. Of the three remaining bovine M. haemolytica isolates, one was obtained in pure culture from a bovine milk sample and the other two as part of a mixed flora associated with a middle ear infection of a calf suffering mucosal disease. Of the four ovine M. haemolytica isolates, two were isolated in pure culture from milk and two, also in pure culture, from pneumonic lungs. Three bovine isolates were identified as M. granulomatis--one from a tongue abscess, one from a jaw abscess and one from a lung showing suppurative bronchopneumonia. Two bovine isolates were identified as M. varigena--one coming from an udder and the other from a spleen. The available diagnostic records provided no information on whether these isolates were associated with a disease process. The remaining isolate was obtained from an ovine tongue abscess and could not be assigned to a recognised species within the genus Mannheimia. CONCLUSION: The study represents the first time that M. haemolytica, M. granulomatis and M. varigena have been recognised as being present in cattle and sheep in Australia. Veterinary laboratories that encounter Pasteurella-Actinobacillus-like organisms from cattle and sheep should attempt as complete a characterisation as possible to help improve our knowledge of the disease potential of these organsims.     

Haemophilus somnus (Histophilus somni) in bighorn sheep.

Respiratory disease and poor lamb recruitment have been identified as limiting factors for bighorn-sheep populations. Haemophilus somnus (recently reclassified as Histophilus somni) is associated with respiratory disease in American bison, domestic sheep, and cattle. It is also harbored in their reproductive tracts and has been associated with reproductive failure in domestic sheep and cattle. Therefore, reproductive tract and lung samples from bighorn sheep were evaluated for the presence of this organism. Organisms identified as H. somnus were isolated from 6 of 62 vaginal but none of 12 preputial swab samples. Antigen specific to H. somnus was detected by immunohistochemical study in 4 of 12 formalin-fixed lung tissue samples of bighorn sheep that died with evidence of pneumonia. Notably, H. somnus was found in alveolar debris in areas of inflammation. The 6 vaginal isolates and 2 H. somnus isolates previously cultured from pneumonic lungs of bighorn sheep were compared with 3 representative isolates from domestic sheep and 2 from cattle. The profiles of major outer membrane proteins and antigens for all of the isolates were predominantly similar, although differences that may be associated with the host-parasite relationship and virulence were detected. The DNA restriction fragment length profiles of the bighorn-sheep isolates had similarities not shared with the other isolates, suggesting distinct phylogenetic lines. All of the isolates had similar antimicrobial profiles, but the isolates from the bighorn sheep produced less pigment than those from the domestic livestock, and growth of the former was not enhanced by CO2. Wildlife biologists and diagnosticians should be aware of the potential of these organisms to cause disease in bighorn sheep and of growth characteristics that may hinder laboratory detection.     

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of florfenicol against bacteria isolated from bovine and porcine respiratory disease

Antimicrobial susceptibility of florfenicol (FFC) against 243 bacterial agents isolated in Korea from cattle and pigs with respiratory disease were investigated by agar diffusion and microdilution broth methods following the recommendations provided by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. All Actinobacillus pleuropnemoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica and 98.6% of the Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates were susceptible to FFC, which as significantly more effective than the other antibiotics used in this study. FFC also showed high in vitro antimicrobial activities (MIC(90) < or = 1 microg/ml) against all strains tested with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination ranging from 0.12 to 4 microg/ml. No resistant strains of A. pleuropneumoniae, P. multocida and M. haemolytica to FFC have apparently developed since the first introduction of this antibiotics for veterinary use in Korea. The results suggest that FFC is therapeutically valuable in the treatment of primary or complicating bacterial pathogens causing of the bovine and swine respiratory tract.     

In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Pasteurella haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida recovered from cattle with bovine respiratory disease complex

The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 421 Pasteurella haemolytica and 158 P. multocida isolates recovered from cattle with respiratory disease were determined with a microdilution minimal inhibitory concentration test system. Isolates were analyzed for patterns of resistance to ampicillin, ceftiofur, erythromycin, gentamicin, penicillin, spectinomycin, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfadimethoxine, tetracycline, and tylosin. All isolates tested were found susceptible to ceftiofur and sulfachlorpyridazine. Pasteurella haemolytica isolates were resistant to ampicillin, penicillin, sulfadimethoxine, tetracycline, and tylosin. Pasteurella multocida isolates were resistant to sulfadimethoxine, tetracycline, and tylosin.     

Characterization of Pasteurella spp isolated from healthy domestic pack goats and evaluation of the effects of a commercial Pasteurella vaccine

OBJECTIVE: To characterize Pasteurella spp isolated from healthy pack goats and evaluate the effects of administration of a commercial Pasteurella vaccine. ANIMALS: 45 goats. PROCEDURE: Pharyngeal swab specimens and blood samples were collected on day 0 before vaccination with a Pasteurella (Mannheimia) haemolytica serotype A1 bacterin. Samples were also collected from 17 goats on days 21 and 35. Isolated Pasteurella spp were assigned to biovariant groups on the basis of results of biochemical utilization tests and serotyped. Serum antibody titers were determined. RESULTS: Multiple strains of Pasteurella spp were isolated from swab specimens and assigned to 30 nonhemolytic and 14 beta-hemolytic biovariant groups. The most common biovariant isolated was nonhemolytic P trehalosi belonging to group 2. This strain was isolated from 41 goats. Nonhemolytic P haemolytica strains were isolated from 31 goats, whereas beta-hemolytic strains of P trehalosi and P haemolytica were isolated from 8 and 35 goats, respectively. Vaccination with the A1 serotype did not affect the proportion of goats from which we isolated each biovariant group or the number of biovariant groups isolated. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Multiple strains of P haemolytica and P trehalosi belonging to nonhemolytic and beta-hemolytic biovariant groups were isolated from the pharynx of healthy domestic pack goats. Because hemolytic activity correlates with leukotoxin production, beta-hemolytic strains may have a greater potential to cause disease in naive populations of wild ruminants. However, vaccination with an A1 serotype bacterin did not decrease the proportion of culture-positive goats.     

Fatal Pasteurella haemolytica pneumonia in bighorn sheep after direct contact with clinically normal domestic sheep

Six Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep were raised in captivity from birth (n = 5) or taken from the wild as a lamb (n = 1). After the bighorn sheep were in captivity for over a year, 6 clinically normal domestic sheep were placed on the 2 ha of pasture on which the bighorn sheep were kept. Nasal swab specimens were obtained from all sheep at the time the domestic sheep were introduced. Pasteurella haemolytica was isolated from swab specimens obtained from 4 of 6 domestic sheep, but not from specimens obtained from the bighorn sheep. All 6 bighorn sheep died of acute hemorrhagic pneumonia after exposure to domestic sheep. Death in the bighorn sheep occurred on days 4, 27, 27, 29, 36, or 71 after initial exposure to domestic sheep. Pasteurella haemolytica was isolated from respiratory tract tissue specimens of all bighorn sheep at the time of death. None of the domestic sheep were clinically ill during the study. At the end of the study, 3 of 6 domestic sheep were euthanatized, and at necropsy, P haemolytica was isolated from 2 of them. The most common serotypes in bighorn and domestic sheep were P haemolytica T-3 and A-2. Other serotypes isolated included P haemolytica A-1, A-9, and A-11 in bighorn sheep and A-1 in domestic sheep. On the basis of results of this study and of other reports, domestic sheep and bighorn sheep should not be managed in proximity to each other because of the potential fatal consequences in bighorn sheep.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica-like strains isolated from diseased animals in Denmark.

Trehalose-negative strains of the Pasteurella haemolytica complex have recently been transferred to a new genus, Mannheimia. This genus presently consists of five named species: M. haemolytica, M. glucosida, M. granulomatis, M. ruminalis and M. varigena. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of these species and lesions associated with these isolates in Denmark. In all 106 M. haemolytica-like strains isolated from pathological material from cattle, sheep, pigs and hares submitted to the Danish Veterinary Laboratory between 1994 and 1998 were investigated. Phenotypic characterization and ribotyping were used for identification in addition to sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes for selected strains. The species allocation was determined by comparison to results from a previous polyphasic taxonomic study. Seventy-one percent of the strains belonged to M. haemolytica, 18% to M. varigena and 8% to unnamed groups within the genus Mannheimia. Single isolates identified as M. glucosida and P. trehalosi, respectively, were detected. Two isolates belonged to M. granulomatis. Forty-three percent of the strains belonged to serotype 1, 41% were untypeable, while the rest belonged to serotypes 2, 7, 9, and 16. The present investigation also showed that a simplified phenotypic characterization using Diatabs Diagnostic Tablets (Rosco, Denmark) represents a useful method for obtaining a quick and reliable species identification. Finally, the investigation confirmed that serotyping does not represent a reliable method for species identification. The heterogeneity of species associated with bovine "pasteurellosis" should be considered in future studies to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of pneumonic disease.     

The efficacy of sulbactam-ampicillin in the therapy of respiratory disease associated with ampicillin resistant Pasteurella species in housed calves

Sulbactam-ampicillin is a combination of sulbactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, and ampicillin, a broad spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic. The efficacy of sulbactam-ampicillin was evaluated in the treatment of calf respiratory disease associated with ampicillin-sensitive and ampicillin-resistant strains of Pasteurella haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida. Treatment with sulbactam-ampicillin was compared with treatment with ampicillin alone in 123 Friesian calves, between three and five weeks old, exhibiting clinical signs of respiratory disease. Seven of the 59 calves treated with ampicillin died whereas only one death occurred in the 64 calves treated with sulbactam-ampicillin. In the calves which survived, treatment with sulbactam-ampicillin resulted in a significantly better clinical response, as measured by the reduction in severity of clinical signs. The results of bacteriological examinations indicated that there was a marked increase in the proportion of ampicillin-resistant isolates of P haemolytica subsequent to treatment with ampicillin, whereas the proportion of ampicillin-resistant isolates of P. haemolytica recovered from calves treated with sulbactam-ampicillin had declined. The superior efficacy of sulbactam-ampicillin observed in this study is explained by the inhibitory effect of sulbactam on beta-lactamases produced by resistant bacteria, thus rendering them susceptible to the ampicillin.     

Incubation of Pasteurella haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida lipopolysaccharide with sheep lung surfactant

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were extracted from a serotype of each of 2 species of Pasteurella isolated from sheep with respiratory tract infections. Lipopolysaccharides from P haemolytica 82-25 (serotype 1A) or P multocida P-1573 (serotype 12) were mixed with sheep lung surfactant and were incubated for 6 hours at 37 C. After incubation, LPS-surfactant mixtures were centrifuged overnight in sucrose density gradients, and fractions were analyzed. Binding occurred between LPS and surfactant vesicles resulting in a stable complex with densities greater than those with the surfactant alone. The surfactant alone had a density of 1.052 to 1.060 g/ml. Diffuse bands of surfactant had a density of 1.075 to 1.092 when incubated with P haemolytica LPS and a density of 1.069 to 1.105 when incubated with P multocida LPS.