title: Molecular epidemiology of VapA-positive Rhodococcus equi in thoroughbred horses in Kagoshima, Japan.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yuyama
authors.forename: Shigemoto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yusa
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamano
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osanai
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osato
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakuda
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsubaki
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takai
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes