title: Isolation and phylogenetic characterization of Streptococcus halichoeri from a European badger (Meles meles) with pyogranulomatous pleuropneumonia.
abstract: Clinical and pathological studies in European badgers (Meles meles) are limited. Badgers play a significant role in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in some countries and an accurate diagnosis is needed for this infection. However, the lesions of bovine TB are similar to those associated with other pathogens, making pathological diagnosis difficult. In the present study, Streptococcus halichoeri was isolated from a European badger with pyogranulomatous pleuropneumonia and suspected of having tuberculosis. TB and other pathogens able to induce similar lesions were ruled out. Comparative 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing studies showed an identity of 99.51% and 98.28%, respectively, with S. halichoeri. This report represents the third description of this bacterium and the first in an animal species other than the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). It also shows that S. halichoeri can be associated with a pathological process characterized by granulomatous inflammation and resembling tuberculosis.
authors: Centro de Investigación en Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Spain; Unidad de Microbiología e Inmunología, Departamento de Patología Animal, Spain. Electronic address: bmoreno@unizar.es.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Moreno
authors: Centro de Investigación en Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Spain; Unidad de Microbiología e Inmunología, Departamento de Patología Animal, Spain.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Bolea
authors: Unidad de Microbiología e Inmunología, Departamento de Patología Animal, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Morales
authors: Centro de Investigación en Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Spain; Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO-i3A), Departamento de Anatomía, Embriología y Genética Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, Spain.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Martín-Burriel
authors: Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre de La Alfranca, Servicio de Biodiversidad, Dpto. de Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente, Gobierno de Aragón, Finca La Alfranca s/n, Pastriz, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors: Ch
authors: Ch
authors: González
authors: Centro de Investigación en Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Spain.
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Badiola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011001:Pleuropneumonia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA; Streptococcus halichoeri; badger; pleuropneumonia