OBJECTIVETo understand the Escherichia coli O157:H7 carrier rate of host animals and the toxic gene of the strains in different areas in Jiangsu province.

METHODSSurveillance spots were set up in different areas, to collect feces of pigs, chickens, sheep, cattle to culture for O157:H7 with immunomagnetic separation as well as detection of toxic gene of the strain with MPCR were both carried out.

RESULTSOne hundred and seventy strains of O157:H7 were separated from 1 767 feces of different animals in six spots, with a overall positive rate 9.62%. The positive rates of cattle and sheep were 19.05% and 12.01% respectively. Among 85 strains SLT1, SLT2, eaeA and hly toxic genes were detected. In which, 56.47% of the strains were positive curturely while 79.17% of them carried SLT2, eaeA and hly gene simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONThe positive rate of O157:H7 in animals and the positive rates of strains were correlated to the incidence of the area. The highest rates were seen in areas where there had been O157:H7 epidemic, followed by the areas where there were only scattered cases identified while the lowest was in areas with no patients. Data indicated that it was important to enforce the surveillance of O157:H7 in animals to better predict and control of the disease.

Animals ; Cattle ; microbiology ; Chickens ; microbiology ; China ; Escherichia coli O157 ; isolation & purification ; Rabbits ; microbiology ; Sheep ; microbiology ; Swine ; microbiology ; Time Factors

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Helicobacter (H.) spp. in swine affected by gastric ulceration. Stomachs from 400 regularly slaughtered swine were subjected to gross pathological examination to evaluate the presence of gastric ulcers. Sixty-five samples collected from ulcerated pars esophagea and 15 samples from non-ulcerated pyloric portions were submitted to histopathological and molecular analyses, to detect Helicobacter spp., H. suis and H. pylori by PCR. Feces and saliva swabs were also collected from 25 animals in order to detect in vivo the presence of Helicobacter spp.. Gastric ulcers were detected in 373 cases (93%). The presence of ulcers in association with inflammatory processes was further confirmed by histological examination. Forty-nine percent (32/65) of the ulcerated esophageal portions as well as 53% (8/15) of the non-ulcerated pyloric portions were positive for Helicobacter spp. by PCR. The Helicobacter spp. positive samples were also positive for H. suis, while H. pylori was not detected. These results were confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. With regard to feces and saliva samples, 15/25 (60%) and 16/25 (64%) were positive for Helicobacter spp. PCR, respectively but all were negative in H. suis and H. pylori specific PCR.
Animals ; Feces/*microbiology ; Helicobacter/*isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Restriction Mapping/veterinary ; Saliva/*microbiology ; Stomach/*microbiology ; Stomach Ulcer/microbiology/pathology/*veterinary ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*microbiology/pathology

This study was done to characterize diversity in 10 Brachyspira hyodysenteriae isolates in Korea. The isolates were compared with 14 well-characterized non-Korean strains of various Brachyspira species. All Korean isolates showed strong beta haemolysis and had blunt cell ends with 7~14 periplasmic flagella. They produced indole, and did not ferment fructose. They were alpha-glucosidase positive and alpha-galatosidase negative using the APIZYM kit. Using polyclonal antisera raised in rabbits against recognized serotypes, all isolates showed a strong reaction to B. hyodysenteriae antisera E, A and B. Using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) with 15 enzymes and 5 buffer systems, the Korean and non-Korean isolates were divided into 22 electrophoretic types (ETs) and 5 divisions (A, B, C, D and E). Division A corresponded to B. hyodysenteriae, B to B. innocens, C to B. intermedia, D to B. murdochii and E to B. pilosicoli. The 10 Korean isolates of B. hyodysenteriae were relatively diverse, being divided into 9 ETs within MLEE division A. They were all distinct from the non-Korean strains.
Animals ; Electrophoresis ; Genes, Bacterial ; Korea/epidemiology ; Rabbits ; Serotyping ; Serpulina hyodysenteriae/classification/genetics/*isolation&purification ; Spirochaetales Infections/*microbiology ; Swine/microbiology ; Swine Diseases/*microbiology ; Variation (Genetics)

The worldwide use of antimicrobials in different fields has created enormous pressure for the selection of resistance among opportunistic bacterial pathogen. One hundred four E. coli isolates were collected and identified from swine with diarrhea in Korea during the period of 2002. The isolates showed highly resistant to streptomycin (99. 0%), tetracycline (97. 1%), neomycin (91. 3%)and carbenicillin (84. 6%)in antimicrobial susceptibility test. Moreover, all of the isolates showed multiple antimicrobial resistant to more than 3, and 85%of them were resistant to more than 7 of total 14 antimicrobial agents. In comparison with isolates in 1998, resistance to antimicrobials was more frequent among the isolates in 2002. Presence of class 1 integrons was investigated through amplification of the gene with PCR, and could be classified 8 groups by pattern of 4 different amplicons. Class 1 integrons were observed in 67 strains (64. 2%)of E. coli from swine in Korea. One and 1. 6 kbp of amplicons were revealed to contain aadA1 and aadB-aadA1 gene cassettes respectively. Two kbp of amplicon had three different gene cassettes, dhfrXII-orfF-aadA2, and 3. 0 kbp of amplicon includes aadB-cmlA1 gene cassettes.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diarrhea/microbiology/veterinary ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/*genetics ; Escherichia coli/*drug effects/genetics ; Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology/*veterinary ; Integrons/*genetics ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*microbiology

Intensive surveillance of human S.suis infection was carried out in July and August of 2005 in Guangdong Province, which coincided with the Sichuan outbreak. Five isolated cases of human infections were identified during this period, from which 5 S. suis serotype 2 isolates were recovered. MLST analysis showed that these 5 isolates shared identical sequences of 6 MLST housekeeping genes except for one point mutation found within the thrA gene fragment, a neutral mutation (TTA to TTG) in the third nucleotide (360 nt) of the codon for leucine. MLST analysis identified 2 sequence types in the Guangdong sporadic infection. Three Guangdong isolates L-SS002, L-SS003 and L-SS005 belonged to ST7, while the other two isolates L-SS004 and L-SS006 belonged to ST1, but they all belonged to ST1 clonal complex. This finding represents a striking feature that differs from the Sichuan outbreak caused by a single ST7 SS2 clone. The 3 isolates of ST7 were probably imported from Sichuan Province, while the origin of the other 2 isolates of ST1 still remain to be clarified.
Animals ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; China ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptococcal Infections ; microbiology ; Streptococcus suis ; classification ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology ; Zoonoses ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo carry out national active surveillance on Listeria monocytogenes in foods in China.

METHODSFour thousand and thirty-four random samples from raw meat, meat product, raw milk, vegetable, yoghurt, icecream and aquatic product were collected in 11 provinces (cities), and examined for Listeria monocytogenes according to the national standard method and confirmed by BAX system (DuPont Qualicon, Wilmington, DE).

RESULTSSeventy isolates four kinds of foods in seven provinces were found to have LM according to the national standard method with a total isolate rate of 1.74%. In Fujian, the rate was higher than in the other provinces. Raw meat was found to be most heavily contaminated in seven kinds of foods. Comparing to national standard method, BAX system showed good sensitivity (> 98%) and specificity (> 97%).

CONCLUSIONIn each province seven kinds of food were all contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes to some degrees, suggesting that local sanitary surveillance should be strengthened. BAX system can be used to correctly and quickly screen Listeria monocytogenes.

Animals ; Cattle ; China ; Food Microbiology ; Listeria monocytogenes ; isolation & purification ; Meat ; microbiology ; Meat Products ; microbiology ; Milk ; microbiology ; Seafood ; microbiology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sheep ; Swine

The effect of acupuncture in the treatment of young pigs with induced enteropathogenic Escherichia coli diarrhea was histopathologically evaluated by routine hematoxylin and eosin stain. Thirty two pigs weighed 4-5kg and aged 21days old were used in this study. The animals with diarrhea were treated with traditional acupuncture, or enrofloxacin. In the group treated with traditional acupuncture, acupoint GV1 (Jiaochao) was used and in the group treated with antibiotics, enrofloxacin was injected intramuscularly. Ten pigs were inoculated with E. coli, but were not treated and served as nontreated control group. At postinoculation day 6, all pigs of the acupuncture and antibiotic treated groups recovered from diarrhea. In the ascending and descending colons of the nontreated control group, severe infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria was observed and in the fundic stomach, destruction of the fundic gland architecture and necrotic lesions were observed, however, in the same sites of the acupuncture and antibiotics treated groups, the mucosae of the colon and stomach were relatively similar to those of the normal group. These results indicate that acupuncture treatment is effective in controlling induced E. coli diarrhea in pigs at its early stage.
Acupuncture ; Animals ; Colon/cytology/microbiology/pathology ; Diarrhea/therapy/*veterinary ; Escherichia coli Infections/therapy/*veterinary ; Gastric Mucosa/cytology/microbiology/pathology ; Intestinal Mucosa/cytology/microbiology/pathology ; Male ; Stomach/cytology/microbiology/pathology ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*microbiology/therapy

OBJECTIVEIn mid-July 2005, five patients presented with septic shock to a hospital in Ziyang city in Sichuan, China, to identify the etiology of the unknown reason disease, an epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory study were conducted.

METHODSAn enhanced surveillance program were established in Sichuan, the following activities were introduced: active case finding in Sichuan of (a) laboratory diagnosed Streptococcus suis infection and (b) clinically diagnosed probable cases with exposure history; supplemented by (c) monitoring reports on meningococcal meningitis. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection was confirmed by culture and biochemical reactions, followed by sequencing for specific genes for serotype and virulence factors.

RESULTSFrom June 10 to August 21, 2005, 68 laboratory confirmed cases of human Streptococcus suis infections were reported. All were villagers who gave a history of direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in their backyards where slaughtering was performed. Twenty six (38%) presented with toxic shock syndrome of which 15 (58%) died. Other presentations were septicaemia or meningitis. All isolates were tested positive for genes for tuf, species-specific 16S rRNA, cps2J, mrp, ef and sly. There were 136 clinically diagnosed probable cases with similar exposure history but incomplete laboratory investigations.

CONCLUSIONAn outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections occurred in villagers after direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in Sichuan. Prohibition of slaughtering in backyards brought the outbreak to a halt. A virulent strain of the bacteria is speculated to be in circulation, and is responsible for the unusual presentation of toxic shock syndrome with high case fatality.

Animals ; Bacteremia ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Shock, Septic ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; veterinary ; Streptococcus suis ; isolation & purification ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology

BACKGROUND: To assess the possibility of VRE transmission from animals to humans, we studied the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in farm animals, raw chicken meat, and healthy people. We then determined the molecular relatedness of VRE isolates between animals and humans in Korea. METHODS: We aimed to isolate VRE from 150 enterococci specimens of farm animals, 15 raw chicken meat samples, and stools from 200 healthy people. Species differentiation was done with conventional biochemical tests. Vancomycin resistance genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using the agar dilution method, antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for 8 antimicrobials and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was done to evaluate the molecular relatedness of VRE isolates. RESULTS: The prevalence of VRE was 14.7% (22/150) in farm animal specimens, 1% (2/200) in healthy people, and 60% (9/15) in raw chicken meat. Of 22 animal VRE isolates, 1 vanA E. faecium, 15 vanC1 E. gallinarum, and 6 vanC2 E. casseliflavus were identified. All of the 9 VRE from raw chicken meat and all of the 20 clinical VRE strains were vanA E. faecium. However, in healthy people, only 2 vanC2 E. casseliflavus were isolated. These showed low-level resistance to vancomycin and susceptibility to teicoplanin. However, 9 VRE strains from raw chicken meat had high-level resistance to vancomycin (MIC50, 90: > 128 microgram/mL), teicoplanin (MIC50, 90: > 128 microgram/mL), ampicillin (MIC50, 90: > 128 microgram/mL), erythromycin (MIC50, 90: > 128 microgram/mL), and tetracycline (MIC50/90: 128/> 128 microgram/mL). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated little evidence of VRE colonization in healthy people despite high recovery of VRE among raw chicken meat. It is suggested that there is little evidence of VRE transmission from animals to healthy people. However, we assumed that there exists the possibility of VRE contamination during the processing of chicken meat.
Animals ; Cattle/microbiology ; Chickens ; Enterococcus/*drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Feces/microbiology ; Humans ; Korea ; Meat/microbiology ; Prevalence ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Swine/microbiology ; *Vancomycin Resistance

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of bilateral parotid gland atrophy on the whole saliva flow rate and the growth of main oral pathogens in different sites of oral cavity.

METHODSTen healthy miniature pigs were divided into two groups. The parotid glands of test group (n = 5) were bilaterally ablated by methyl violet. Another healthy five miniature pigs served as the control group. Whole saliva was collected and the whole saliva flow rate detected in both groups at 12 and 24 months respectively after parotid atrophy. The total numbers of oral main pathogens in the first molar, cuspid sub-gingival bacteria plaque and whole saliva were also detected.

RESULTSThe whole saliva flow rate was significantly decreased at both 12 and 24 months respectively after atrophy of bilateral parotid gland in miniature pig. Pathogens including Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in different sites oral cavity were increased after bilateral parotid gland atrophy.

CONCLUSIONSBilateral ablation of the parotid glands led to a significant decrease of whole saliva flow rate. The total numbers of main oral pathogens were increased in different sites of oral cavity.

Animals ; Atrophy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mouth ; microbiology ; Parotid Gland ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Saliva ; secretion ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature