Characterization of Pasteurellaceae-like bacteria isolated from clinically affected psittacine birds.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present investigation was to identify and characterize Pasteurella-like isolates obtained from clinically affected psittacine birds.


RESULTS
A total of 37 isolates from psittacine birds tentatively classified with the family Pasteurellaceae were characterized phenotypically. The genetic relationship was investigated by sequencing of partial rpoB and 16S rRNA genes for selected isolates. The results obtained were compared with the data from 16 reference strains. Nine isolates were identified as Gallibacterium spp., 16 as Volucribacter spp. or Volucribacter-like, while 11 isolates were classified as taxon 44 of Bisgaard. A single isolate was identified as Pasteurella multocida.


CONCLUSIONS
Characterization of Pasteurellaceae by traditional methods is often inconclusive because of inconsistent reactions and phenotypic diversity. For the same reason, genotyping is essential to allow proper classification as demonstrated in the present study.


CONCLUSIONS
Limited information exists on the isolation and significance of Pasteurellaceae associated with clinically affected psittacine birds showing signs of digestive and/or respiratory disorders. The present investigations demonstrated that these organisms are widely distributed among clinically affected birds, but isolation of these taxa cannot be unambiguously correlated with the symptoms observed.
Gregersen
R H
RH
Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Neubauer
C
C
Christensen
H
H
Korczak
B
B
Bojesen
A M
AM
Hess
M
M
Bisgaard
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015661:Pasteurellaceae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D011563:Psittaciformes / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S