title: Virulence genes and plasmid profiles in Rhodococcus equi isolates from domestic pigs and wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Brazil.
abstract: The virulence genes and plasmid profiles of 23 Rhodococcus equi isolates from 258 lymph nodes from domestic pigs (129 nodes with lesions and 129 without lesions) and 120 lymph nodes from slaughtered wild boars (60 nodes with lesions and 60 without) were characterized. R. equi was obtained from 19 lymph nodes of domestic pigs, 17 with, and two without lesions, and from four lymph nodes with lesions, from wild boars. The 23 isolates were tested for the presence of vapA and vapB genes, responsible for the 15-17 and 20 kDa virulence-associated proteins, respectively, by PCR in order to characterize as virulent (VapA), intermediately virulent (VapB) and avirulent. Plasmid DNAs were isolated and analyzed by digestion with restriction endonucleases to estimate size and compare their polymorphisms. Of the 19 domestic pigs strains, seven (36.8%) were avirulent and 12 (63.2%) were intermediately virulent, with the intermediately virulent isolates being plasmid types 8 (8 isolates), 10 (2 isolates), 1 (1 isolate) and 29 (1 isolate). The plasmid type of four strains isolated from wild boars was also intermediately virulent type 8. None of the domestic pigs and wild boar isolates showed the vapA gene. These findings demonstrate a high occurrence of plasmid type 8 in isolates from pigs and wild boars, and the similarity of plasmid types in the domestic pigs, wild boars and human isolates in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Câmpus Botucatu, Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, Infectious Diseases of Domestic Animals, 18618-970 State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. mgribeiro@fmvz.unesp.br
authors.forename: Márcio Garcia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guazzelli
authors.forename: Gustavo Henrique Batista
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: Aristeu Vieira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Marta Catarina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Larissa Anuska Zeni
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Condas
authors.forename: Amanda Keller
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salerno
mesh_terms: D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D016929:Rhodococcus equi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence