Identification of the tetracycline resistance gene, tet(M), in Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

This is the first report to demonstrate the presence of tet(M) in naturally occurring isolates of tetracycline-resistant Erysipelothrix rbusiopathiae, which causes swine erysipelas. The tet(M) gene was isolated from E. rhusiopathiae strain KY5-42. The nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequence were 99% identical to the tet(M) gene from Enterococcus faecalis. The gene was necessary and sufficient for the expression of tetracycline resistance in Escherichia coli. The presence of the tet(M) gene in the 114 tetracycline-resistant E. rhusiopathiae isolates from diseased pigs was detected by the polymerase chain reaction assay. The specific amplified DNA fragment was obtained from all 114 tetracycline-resistant strains. It was suggested that the tet(M) gene was widely present in the field isolates of E. rhusiopathiae resistant to tetracycline.     

Oral vaccination against swine erysipelas--field experiences in Croatia

In order to prove the effects of mass application of oral erysipelas vaccine via drinking water, in a farrow-to-finish production unit in Croatia, the growing-finishing animals were divided into 3 groups and treated as follows:--Group 1 (n=199) was vaccinated intramuscularly against swine erysipelas at 1 week and 3 weeks after arrival in the growing-finishing facility with a swine erysipelas bacterin.--Group 2 (n=199) were vaccinated at the same time with an avirulent culture of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae oral vaccine through drinking water.--Group 3 (n=200) was not vaccinated. Animals with clinical signs of swine erysipelas, chronic progressive arthritis at slaughter, mortality, average daily weight gain during the growing-finishing phase were evaluated. None of the pigs in the groups 1 and 2 showed clinical signs typical for acute swine erysipelas. Twenty-four of the pigs (12 %) in group 3 had pyrexia and skin lesions typical for swine erysipelas. Fifteen pigs in group 1, 13 pigs in group 2, and 63 pigs in group 3 had chronic progressive arthritis (group 1 and 2 vs. group 3: P < 0.01). No significant differences in mortality were recorded between the groups. Group 1 and 2 had higher (P < 0.05) average daily weight gains compared with the group 3.     

Protective activity of the purified protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in pigs

We purified the protein antigen (P64), which contains 66 and 64 kDa proteins, from the alkaline extract (AE) of whole cells of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strain Agata (serovar 5) to determine the protective activity of the antigen against E. rhusiopathiae infection in pigs. The serum titre of antibody against P64 rapidly increased in pigs immunized with 500 and 100 micrograms of P64 and reached maximum values at 3 weeks after the first immunization (1 week after the second immunization). However, the serum antibody titres were not increased in pigs immunized with 20 micrograms of P64 and in nonimmunized pigs. In the pigs immunized with live cell vaccine (acriflavin-fast attenuated strain Koganei 65-0.15), the serum titres of antibody against P64 also increased at 1-2 weeks after immunization. In a pig challenge test performed on immunized and nonimmunized pigs, all nonimmunized pigs showed typical clinical signs of swine erysipelas (fever, erysipeloid, arthritis), while all pigs immunized with 500 and 100 micrograms of P64 and live cell vaccine showed no clinical signs of this disease. In Western blot analysis, sera from pigs immunized with P64 and live cell vaccine strongly reacted with the 64 kDa protein. In contrast, the serum from nonimmunized pigs did not react with any proteins. From these results, it was suggested that a specific antibody against the 64 kDa protein could be increased in pigs immunized with P64 or live cell vaccine and that this anti-P64 antibody has a strong protective effect against E. rhusiopathiae infection in pigs.     

Use of heteroduplex mobility assays (HMA) for pre-sequencing screening and identification of variant strains of swine and avian hepatitis E viruses

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of human hepatitis E, is an important public health problem in many developing countries and is also endemic in many industrialized countries including the US. The discoveries of avian and swine HEVs by our group from chickens and pigs, respectively, suggest that hepatitis E may be a zoonosis. Current methods for molecular epidemiological studies of HEV require PCR amplification of field strains of HEV followed by DNA sequencing and sequence analyses, which are laborious and expensive. As novel or variant strains of HEV continue to evolve rapidly both in humans and other animals, it is important to develop a rapid pre-sequencing screening method to select field isolates for further molecular characterization. In this study, we developed two heteroduplex mobility assays (HMA) (one for swine HEV based on the ORF2 region, and the other for avian HEV based on the ORF1 region) to genetically differentiate field strains of avian and swine HEVs from known reference strains. The ORF2 regions of 22 swine HEV isolates and the ORF1 regions of 13 avian HEV isolates were amplified by PCR, sequenced and analyzed by HMA against reference prototype swine HEV strain and reference prototype avian HEV strain, respectively. We showed that, in general, the HMA profiles correlate well with nucleotide sequence identities and with phylogenetic clustering between field strains and the reference swine HEV or avian HEV strains. Field isolates with similar HMA patterns generally showed similar sequence identities with the reference strains and clustered together in the phylogenetic trees. Therefore, by using different HEV isolates as references, the HMA developed in this study can be used as a pre-sequencing screening tool to identify variant HEV isolates for further molecular epidemiological studies.     

1株基因Ⅶ型新城疫病毒的生物学特性研究及全基因组序列分析

为研究当前流行的新城疫病毒（Newcastle disease virus,NDV）基因型、致病性及其与传统新城疫病毒疫苗株（La Sota等）的核苷酸差异,试验从某发病鸡场病死鸡体内分离到1株疑似NDV毒株,经红细胞凝集试验（HA）和红细胞凝集抑制试验（HI）初步确定为鸡源NDV。参照GenBank公布的NDV F基因部分片段（登录号：JF950510.1）设计1对引物,通过RT-PCR技术扩增分离株的F基因并克隆、测序,测序结果与NCBI中NDV F基因序列进行比对,构建系统进化树并分析其基因型;通过测定鸡胚平均致死时间（MDT）、1日龄鸡脑内致病指数（ICPI）和6周龄鸡静脉致病指数（IVPI）判断病毒致病性;参照GenBank公布的NDV全基因组序列（登录号：JF950510.1）设计9对引物对分离株进行全基因组序列测定,并分析其基因组结构。结果表明,RT-PCR扩增得到F基因长约500 bp,基于F基因构建的系统进化树显示分离株为基因Ⅶ型NDV;MDT、ICPI和IVPI分别为52.8 h、1.675和2.46,表明分离株属于强毒株。全基因组序列分析显示,分离株全基因组全长15 192 bp,与传统La Sota株基因组相比,序列多出6个碱基,核苷酸序列同源性82.8%。本研究成功分离到1株基因Ⅶ型NDV强毒株,且与传统疫苗毒株La Sota的核苷酸序列同源性差异较大。     

Oral vaccination of sexually mature pigs with Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51

OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel oral vaccine delivery system for swine, using the rough vaccine strain of Brucella abortus. ANIMALS: 56 crossbred pigs from a brucellosis-free facility. PROCEDURE: In 3 separate experiments, pigs were orally vaccinated with doses of 1 x 10(9) to > 1 x 10(11) CFU of strain RB51 vaccine. The vaccine was placed directly on the normal corn ration, placed inside a whole pecan, or mixed with cracked pecans and corn. RESULTS: Oral vaccination of pigs with vaccine strain RB51 resulted in a humoral immune response to strain RB51 and short-term colonization of the regional lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A viscous liquid such as Karo corn syrup in association with pecans that scarify the oral mucosa are necessary when placing the live vaccine directly onto corn or other food rations. Doses of > 1 x 10(11) CFU of RB51 organisms/pig in this mixture ensures 100% colonization of regional lymph nodes via the oral route. This method may allow an efficient and economical means to vaccinate feral swine for brucellosis.     

商品化猪丹毒疫苗分类及特点

文章介绍了5种商品化猪丹毒疫苗的种类、毒株组成、抗原含量及相应免疫程序,为了解各种类型的猪丹毒商品化疫苗提供参考。     

生猪猪丹毒病临床诊断与防治

为加强猪丹毒病科学防治、促进生猪科学健康养殖,该文就猪丹毒病的流行特点、临床症状及病理变化进行具体介绍,提出有效的预防及治疗措施。     

Cross protection in mice and swine immunized with live erysipelas vaccine to challenge exposure with strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae of various serotypes

Mice and swine immunized subcutaneously with live vaccine prepared from acriflavine-fast attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, strain Koganei (serotype 2), were challenge exposed to virulent strains of E rhusiopathiae of various serotypes. Vaccinated mice did not die after challenge exposure to serotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, or N, but 20% to 30% mortality occurred in vaccinated mice challenge exposed to serotypes 10, 14, 20, or 22. Nonvaccinated control mice died after challenge exposure to all serotypes tested. Vaccinated swine challenge exposed to strain 14B (serotype 9) or strain 2179 (serotype 10) developed localized urticarial lesions at the site of intradermal exposure. Vaccinated swine challenge exposed to serotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 5, 8, 11, 12, 18, 19, or 21 did not have clinical signs of acute erysipelas. Nonvaccinated control swine developed acute generalized erysipelas or localized lesions at the site of intradermal exposure.     

9株猪瘟分离毒株的致病特性

采用9株临床表现强、中、低致病特点的猪瘟野毒分离株第3代细胞毒作为种毒,按3mL/头剂量分别注射猪瘟抗原及抗体阴性猪,再用上一代传代猪发病后的血毒作为下一代接毒用种毒接种试验猪1头或2头,或上一代传代猪发病后,同圈放入1头或2头试验猪进行同居感染.如此进行,GDGZ1/95、BJCY1/96和JL1/94传至8代;FJFQ1/99传至7代;HeBHH1/95、HeNBY1/96、BJTX3/96、GXBH1/98和HeNXH2/98传至3代.结果显示:上述分离株传至3～5代过程中均表现出毒力增强的趋势,从3～5代传代到8(7)代的过程中毒力进一步增强并保持稳定,且均超过了标准石门强毒株的发病特点.所有试验猪均出现较典型的猪瘟临床症状,解剖后均表现出不同程度的病理变化,死后或解剖后的各种脏器经HCFA检查均为强阳性,这种现象进一步证实了猪是猪瘟病毒的敏感动物,各毒株之间毒力没有明显差异.对其中7株分离株传代血毒部分代次E2基因主要区域进行序列分析,结果仅GDGZ1/95株从F1～F8代中的F6代有2个核苷酸的差异,引起1个相应氨基酸的变异,其余毒株的不同代次没有碱基发生变异,初步说明猪瘟病毒基因型表现相对的稳定性.     

Serotyping and pathogenicity of Erysipelothrix strains isolated from tonsils of slaughter pigs in Thailand.

Erysipelothrix strains were isolated from the tonsils of 46 (15.0%) of 307 apparently healthy slaughter pigs in Thailand during the period of August to September, 1997. A total of 27 of the 46 Erysipelothrix isolates could be classified into 5 serovars but the remaining 19 were untypable in this study. Of the 25 isolates serologically identified as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, 20, 4, and 1 isolates belonged to serovars 2, 12, and 17, respectively. Only 2 isolates from the tonsils belonged to Erysipelothrix tonsillarum and represented either serovar 7 or 10. Although the periods and the districts of the survey were limited, the information obtained in the present investigation demonstrates the presence of a variety of serovars in pigs in Thailand. Of 29 selected isolates belonging to serovars 2, 7, 10, 12, 17, and untypable, only 5 (17.2%) were virulent for both mice and pigs. Five of these virulent isolates belonging to serovars 2 and 12 killed less than 30% of mice immunized with a swine erysipelas bacterin commercially available in Thailand, suggesting that the vaccine elicited a sufficient immunity to these field isolates.     

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae: genetic characterization of midwest US isolates and live commercial vaccines using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

This is the first report of molecular characterization of US erysipelas field isolates and vaccine strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Erysipelas in pigs is mainly caused by E. rhusiopathiae serotypes 1a, 1b, and 2. In 2001, erysipelas reemerged as a clinical problem in pigs in the midwestern United States. In this work 90 erysipelas isolates (58 recent and 28 archived field isolates as well as 4 live-vaccine strains) were genetically characterized. Because of the limited availability of antiserum, 74/90 isolates (44/58 recent isolates) were serotyped. The serotype of the majority (79.6%) of the 44 recent isolates tested was determined to be 1a, 13.6% were serotype 1b, and 6.8% of recent isolates were serologically untypeable. Among all 90 isolates, 23 different PFGE patterns were identified. There were 43 isolates identified as serotype 1a with 4 genetic patterns: 38/43, 1A(I); 3/43, 1A(III); 1/43, 1B(V); and 1/43, 3B. Sixteen serotype 1b isolates had 11 unique genetic patterns: 4/16 were genotype 1B(III), 2/16 were genotype 3A(I), and 1/16 was in genotype groups 1A(V), 1A(VI), 1A(VII), 1B(I), 1B(IV), 1B(VII), 2, 4, and 5. Six genetic patterns were distinguished among the 10 serotype 2 isolates: 1A(IV) (1/10), 1A(V) (1/10), 1B(VI) (1/10), 2 (4/10), 7 (1/10), and 8 (2/8). Erysipelas vaccine strains (modified live) were similar to each other but different from current field strains, sharing 78.6% identity with the most prevalent genotype 1A(I) based on the PFGE-SmaI pattern. Compared with serotyping, PFGE genotyping is a more distinguishing technique, easy to perform and not dependent on the limited availability of antiserum.     

Vaccinology of classical swine fever: from lab to field

There are two types of classical swine fever vaccines available: the classical live and the recently developed E2 subunit vaccines. The live Chinese strain vaccine is the most widely used. After a single vaccination, it confers solid immunity within a few days that appears to persist lifelong. The E2 subunit vaccine induces immunity from approximately 10-14 days after a single vaccination. The immunity may persist for more than a year, but is then not complete. The Chinese strain vaccine may establish a strong herd immunity 1-2 weeks earlier than the E2 vaccine. The ability of the Chinese vaccine strain to prevent congenital infection has not been reported, but the E2 subunit vaccine does not induce complete protection against congenital infection. Immunological mechanisms that underlie the protective immunity are still to be elucidated. Both types of vaccine are considered to be safe. A great advantage of the E2 subunit vaccine is that it allows differentiation of infected pigs from vaccinated pigs and is referred to as a DIVA vaccine. However, the companion diagnostic E(rns) ELISA to actually make that differentiation should be improved. Many approaches to develop novel vaccines have been described, but none of these is likely to result in a new DIVA vaccine reaching the market in the next 5-10 years. Countries where classical swine fever is endemic can best control the infection by systematic vaccination campaigns, accompanied by the normal diagnostic procedures and control measures. Oral vaccination of wild boar may contribute to lowering the incidence of classical swine fever, and consequently diminishing the threat of virus introduction into domestic pigs. Free countries should not vaccinate and should be highly alert to rapidly diagnose any new outbreak. Once a new introduction of classical swine fever virus in dense pig areas has been confirmed, an emergency vaccination programme should be immediately instituted, for maximum benefit. The question is whether the time is ripe to seriously consider global eradication of classical swine fever virus.     

两种不同猪瘟疫苗对育肥猪的免疫效果比较

为比较猪瘟疫苗E2基因工程亚单位疫苗和猪瘟活疫苗对育肥猪免疫效果和生产成绩的影响,以便为规模猪场在选择猪瘟疫苗时提供参考。本试验从汉中某代养场选取了一批健康的断奶仔猪分成三组,A组免疫猪瘟E2基因工程亚单位疫苗（简称E2亚单位疫苗）,B组免疫猪瘟活疫苗（脾淋源）,C组为对照组不做猪瘟疫苗免疫。免疫60 d后各组随机抽取10、15和12份血样用猪瘟病毒抗体检测试剂盒检测猪瘟抗体水平。结果表明接种的两种猪瘟疫苗对育肥猪的免疫效果差异极显著（P<0.01）,其中E2亚单位疫苗相比于猪瘟活疫苗能够明显提高育肥猪抗体阻断率和降低离散度,并且有助于育肥猪的健康生长。     

Salmonella Gallinarum field isolates and its relationship to vaccine strain SG9R

1. The aim of the present study was to determine if the 9R-strain of the Salmonella Gallinarum live vaccine was responsible for having fowl typhoid outbreaks in chicken flocks from both chicken and turkey breeders as well as to verify the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates from the outbreaks.

2. The triplex polymerase chain reaction, standard antimicrobial test, beta-lactamase genes identification and Ion Torrent PMG whole-genome sequence were used in the field isolates and in the vaccine strain of S. Gallinarum.

3. The 60 tested isolates were not from vaccine origin and manifested high resistance to drugs from macrolide and quinolone groups. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis on selected isolates for core genes from Salmonella enterica confirmed the wild origin of these isolates and showed two possible sources of S. Gallinarum in the studied outbreaks.

4. S. Gallinarum isolated from fowl typhoid outbreaks in the studied period were not caused by the use of the SG9R live vaccine. The source of strains sequenced was diverse.     

Re-emerging of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (lineage 3) and increased pathogenicity after genomic recombination with vaccine variant

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) was first reported in China since late 1995 and several variants were further reported in subsequence years, causing huge economic losses to the Chinese swine industry. To date, three major lineages (lineage 3, 5.1 and 8.7) of Type 2 PRRSV were reported in China based on our global genotyping. The present study provides the epidemiology of the PRRSV in South China based on the isolates collected during 2009–2012, indicating three lineages (lineage 3, 5.1 and 8.7) of Type 2 PRRSV were still circulating in this area. Our phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that lineage 3 re-emerged in 2010 formed a huge cluster with closely related to the 2004 isolates from Hong Kong. Furthermore, the inter-lineage genomic recombination between MLV vaccine strain (lineage 5) and a recently re-emerged lineage 3 virus (QYYZ) has also been found in a farm practicing MLV vaccination. Our in vivo experiment comparing the pathogenicity and clinical presentations among currently isolated viruses indicated that pigs infected with recombinant lineage 3 virus (GM2) showed persistent higher fever compared to pigs infected by its wild counterpart (QYYZ). This study enhanced our understanding on potential importance of the recombination of PRRSV along with their evolution.     

Characterization of a ts-1-like Mycoplasma galisepticum isolate from commercial broiler chickens

Several commercial broiler flocks in northeastern Georgia that were the progeny of the same parent flock (Flock 40) were diagnosed as Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) positive by serology, culture, and PCR. Flock 40 had been vaccinated with ts-11 live MG vaccine. Several isolates were obtained from the MG-positive broiler flocks, and these isolates were indistinguishable from the ts-11 vaccine strain by the molecular strain differentiation methods used. A pathogenicity study was performed to compare the virulence of one of the isolates, K6216D, to the ts-11 vaccine strain. K6216D elicited a significantly stronger antibody response and significantly increased colonization of the tracheas and air sacs. K6216D also elicited significantly greater air sac and tracheal lesions than the ts-11 vaccine strain at 10 and 21 days postinoculation (P < or = 0.05). This is the first report of a field case of the apparent reversion to virulence and vertical transmission of the ts-11 vaccine.