title: Genetic relatedness of Brucella suis biovar 2 isolates from hares, wild boars and domestic pigs.
abstract: Porcine brucellosis generally manifests as disorders in reproductive organs potentially leading to serious losses in the swine industry. Brucella suis biovar 2 is endemic in European wild boar (Sus scrofa) and hare (Lepus europeus, Lepus capensis) populations, thus these species may play a significant role in disease spread and serve as potential sources of infection for domestic pigs. The aim of this study was an epidemiologic analysis of porcine brucellosis in Hungary and a comparative analysis of B. suis bv. 2 strains from Europe using multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). MLVA-16 and its MLVA-11 subset were used to determine the genotypes of 68 B. suis bv. 2 isolates from Hungary and results were then compared to European MLVA genotypes. The analyses indicated relatively high genetic diversity of B. suis bv. 2 in Hungary. Strains isolated from hares and wild boars from Hungary showed substantial genetic divergence, suggesting separate lineages in each host and no instances of cross species infections. The closest relatives of strains from Hungarian wild boars and domestic pigs were mainly in the isolates from German and Croatian boars and pigs. The assessment of the European MLVA genotypes of wild boar isolates generally showed clustering based on geographic origin. The hare strains were relatively closely related to one another and did not cluster based on geographic origin. The limited relationships between geographic origin and genotype in isolates from hares might be the result of cross-border live animal translocation. The results could also suggest that certain B. suis strains are more adapted to hares. Across Europe, isolates from domestic pigs were closely related to isolates originating from both hares and wild boars, supporting the idea that wild animals are a source of brucellosis in domestic pigs.
authors: Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, 1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Zsuzsa
authors: Z
authors: Kreizinger
authors: Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4073, USA.
authors: Jeffrey T
authors: JT
authors: Foster
authors: Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office, P.O. Box 2, 1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Zsuzsanna
authors: Z
authors: Rónai
authors: Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, 1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Kinga M
authors: KM
authors: Sulyok
authors: Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, 1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Enikő
authors: E
authors: Wehmann
authors: Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, National Food Chain Safety Office, P.O. Box 2, 1581 Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Szilárd
authors: S
authors: Jánosi
authors: Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 18, 1581 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: m.gyuranecz@gmail.com.
authors: Miklós
authors: M
authors: Gyuranecz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002002:Brucella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D041021:Brucella suis / Q000235:genetics; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005060:Europe; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D034621:Hares; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Brucella suis; Brucellosis; Domestic pig; Hare; MLVA; Wild boar