title: Isolation of Rhodococcus equi from the feces of indigenous animals and soil from the Lower Zambezi National Park and Lochinvar National Park, Zambia.
abstract: Rhodococcus equi is an important pathogen in foals; however, its incidence in African indigenous animals is poorly understood. Fecal samples (92 from nine indigenous species) and 43 soil samples were collected from two Zambian National Parks. The presence of R. equi was investigated and 533 isolates were tested for the presence of 15- to 17-kDa antigens (VapA) and a 20-kDa antigen (VapB) by immunoblotting and PCR. R. equi was isolated (10(2)-10(4) colony forming units/g) from 75% of fecal and 74% of soil samples. Neither antigen was detected; however, about 20% of the isolates contained cryptic plasmids of various sizes. There was no evidence of virulent R. equi, but the avirulent form was widespread in the animals and the soil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Michelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syakalima
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yukako
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Hisako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Kaya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakuda
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsubaki
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D002020:Buffaloes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004606:Elephants; D018397:Equidae; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012377:Rodentia; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013552:Swine; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial