title: Molecular characterization ofRhodococcus equiisolates in equines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to determine the occurrence ofRhodococcus equiin equines and their environment in Jammu (R.S. Pura, Katra), molecular characterization and to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern ofR. equi.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 96 nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from equines. The organism was isolated on Columbia nalidixic acid agar containing 5% sheep blood as well as on sheep blood agar and was later confirmed by cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. Molecular detection ofR. equiisolates was done by16S rRNAgene amplification followed by virulence associated protein A (Vap A) gene amplification. Antibiogram was performed against five antibiotics,viz., amoxicillin, penicillin G, streptomycin, rifampicin, and methicillin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study, 9R. equiisolates were identified on the basis of cultural and biochemical tests. In the polymerase chain reaction based detection, 3 among the 9 rhodococcal isolates were positive for species-specific16S rRNAgene and revealed amplicon of 450 bp for confirmation of16S rRNAgene. None of the sample was found positive forVap Agene. In antibiogram,R. equiisolates were found sensitive for amoxicillin, while some isolates were also found resistant to the most conventional antibiotic penicillin G.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From this study, it was concluded thatR. equiinfection is prevalent in equines in Jammu region of India and the indiscriminate use of the antibiotics is leading toward the development of resistant strains ofR. equi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Rabyia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Javed
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Taku
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Gulzaar Ahmed
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Badroo
keywords: 16S rRNA; Rhodococcus equi; polymerase chain reaction