Campylobacter infections in fattening pigs; excretion pattern and genetic diversity.
The excretion of campylobacter by eight individually housed fattening pigs was monitored during 15 weeks. Rectal faeces samples were collected six times from these pigs and twice from their mothers (seven sows). Campylobacter was cultured from these samples on Preston medium. In some pigs, samples positive for campylobacter alternated with negative samples. Campylobacter was detected in at least four of the six samples collected per fattening pig. The average campylobacter count per sampling showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.001). Of the seven sows, six were shown to excrete campylobacter. Campylobacter isolates of pigs and sows were typed using the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR); 28 different campylobacter types were distinguished. Up to five different types were isolated from single faeces samples. Individual porkers could harbour up to eight types during their fattening period. The three types most frequently isolated from the fattening pigs were also present in the sows.
Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. M.J.B.M.WEIJTENS@MKG.AGRO.NL
M J
MJ
Weijtens
R D
RD
Reinders
H A
HA
Urlings
J
J
Van der Plas
D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D015430:Weight Gain
D004269:DNA, Bacterial