Molecular epidemiology of VapA-positive Rhodococcus equi in thoroughbred horses in Kagoshima, Japan.
The prevalence of virulent R. equi having 15- to 17-kDa antigens (VapA) in fecal isolates from 13 thoroughbred foals and their dams on 5 farms in Kagoshima, Japan, and the plasmid profiles of VapA-positive isolates by restriction fragment digestion patterns were investigated to compare the genotypic variation among virulence plasmids of R. equi isolates from Japan. In total, 218 (24.6%) of 886 isolates from the feces of the 13 foals and 13 (12.5%) of 104 isolates from the feces of their dams demonstrated VapA-positive R. equi. Plasmid DNA preparations of 231 virulent isolates from foals and dams were analyzed by restriction enzyme digestion with endonucleases EcoRI, EcoT22I and HindIII and were divided into 3 types: 172 isolates contained a 90-kb type I plasmid, 57 contained a 90-kb type III plasmid and 2 contained a 90-kb type IV plasmid. This study demonstrates a geographic character in the distribution of virulence plasmids found in VapA-positive isolates from thoroughbred foals in Kagoshima.
Yuyama
Teruhiko
T
Department of Animal Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori, Japan.
Yusa
Shigemoto
S
Yoshizumi
Kazunori
K
Yamano
Shigeki
S
Murata
Soichiro
S
Hirose
Tomoaki
T
Osanai
Rika
R
Onishi
Yoko
Y
Osato
Satoshi
S
Sasaki
Chie
C
Sasaki
Yukako
Y
Kakuda
Tsutomu
T
Tsubaki
Shiro
S
Takai
Shinji
S
D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes