Small Ruminant Pathogen Found in Alentejano Pig in Portugal

PORTUGAL - Researchers based in Lisbon have identified Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in an abscess in a domestic pig for the first time; the pathogen is common in sheep and goats across the world.
calendar icon 14 October 2014
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This work at the University of Lisbon represents the first report of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from caseous lymphadenitis lesions in Black Alentejano pig.

The researchers, led by Manuela Oliveira, say their finding highlights the importance of establishing suitable control and sanitary management practices to control the infection and avoid further dissemination of this important pathogen to other animal hosts.

In their paper, published in BMC Veterinary Research, they explain that C. pseudotuberculosis is the aetiological agent of caseous lymphadenitis, a common disease in small ruminant populations throughout the world and responsible for a significant economic impact for producers.

They report that, to their knowledge, this is the first characterisation of C. pseudotuberculosis from caseous lymphadenitis lesions in Black Alentejano pig (Sus scrofa domesticus).

In this study, phenotypic and genotypic identification methods allocated the swine isolates in C. pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis.

The vast majority of the isolates were able to produce phospholipase D and were susceptible to most of the antimicrobial compounds tested. Macrorestriction patterns obtained by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) grouped the C. pseudotuberculosis in two clusters with a high similarity index, which reveals their clonal relatedness.

Furthermore, swine isolates were compared with C. pseudotuberculosis from caprines and PFGE patterns also showed high similarity, suggesting the prevalence of dominant clones and a potential cross-dissemination between these two animal hosts.

Reference

Oliveira M., C. Barroco, C. Mottola, R. Santos, A. Lemsaddek, L. Tavares and T. Semedo-Lemsaddek. 2014. First report of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from caseous lymphadenitis lesions in Black Alentejano pig (Sus scrofa domesticus). BMC Veterinary Research. 10:218. doi:10.1186/s12917-014-0218-3

Further Reading

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