We retrospectively estimated the incidence of culture-proven melioidosis in animals in Thailand during 2006–2010. The highest incidence was in goats (1.63/100,000/year), followed by incidence in pigs and cattle. The estimated incidence of melioidosis in humans in a given region paralleled that of melioidosis in goats.

ABSTRACT. A total of 159 Thai isolates of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae isolated from pneumonic lungs of pigs during 2006-2011 were investigated for their in vitro susceptibility to 12 antimicrobial agents. Low activity of chlortetracycline was indicated by the MIC range from 3.12-100 μg/ml and MIC 90 of 50 μg/ml. Seventy-six isolates showed resistance to enrofloxacin, whereas 2 isolates showed resistance to macrolides and lincomycin. In addition, a point mutation at A2058G was revealed by sequence analysis of 23S ribosomal RNA in both isolates. The present results confirmed the rapid increase of resistant M. hyopneumoniae isolates against chlortetracycline, enrofloxacin, macrolides and lincomycin in Thailand. Selection of drugs to control swine diseases in Thailand must be done more prudently in consideration of reducing the antimicrobial resistance. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is recognized as one of the most important pathogens in pigs. Management practices, medication and vaccination are control measures of the disease [12]. In Thailand, antimicrobials are generally given to piglets to control diarrhea and respiratory problems during weaning to fattening as well as to gilt and sow during gilt acclimatization and lactation [15]. Excessive medication may cause a decrease of susceptibility of mycoplasmas against antimicrobial agents [11,21,23]. To date, antimicrobial resistance of porcine mycoplasmas has been reported to tetracyclines, macrolides, lincomycin and flumequine, the first generation fluoroquinolone in some countries [1,6,17,21,22]. In Thailand, susceptibility of M. hyopneumoniae to antimicrobial agents was investigated for the isolates collected in 1997-1998, and no resistant isolates were found in that period [14]. In this study, susceptibilities of recent field isolates of M. hyopneumoniae collected during 2006-2011 were examined. M. hyopneumoniae field isolates showing resistance to macrolides and lincomycin were examined for 23S rRNA transition as an evidence of in vivo acquired resistance of M. hyopnuemoniae to macrolides and lincomycin in Thailand.One hundred and fifty-nine Thai isolates of M. hyopneumoniae and the type strain J obtained from National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH), Japan were used. Of the Thai isolates, 7 were isolated from pneumonic lungs of pigs from 5 farms in 2006, and 20, 39, 76, 14 and 3 isolates were isolated from 10, 11, 13, 6 and 1 farms in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. The lung samples collected from pneumonic lesions of pigs, either by the farmers whose pigs were clinically affected with respiratory problems or by the veterinarians at the slaughter house to monitor the respiratory diseases in the farms, were submitted to NIAH, Thailand for identification of the causative agents. Focusing on M. hyopneumoniae infection, the primary isolation was carried out in BHL broth and BHL agar medium as described previously [23]. Cultures identified as M. hyopneumoniae by colony characterization and by specific PCR [13] were stocked at −80°C until use.The followin...

Background Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is an important swine and human pathogen. There are 33 serotypes that have been described. Zoonotic cases are very common the Northern part of Thailand, especially in Phayao Province. However, the prevalence of S. suis and, more particularly the different serotypes, in pigs in this region is poorly known and needed to be addressed.The context and purpose of the studyDistribution of S. suis serotypes varies depending on the geographical area. Knowledge of the serotype distribution is important for epidemiological studies. Consequently, 180 tonsil samples from slaughterhouse pigs in Phayao Province had been collected for surveillance, from which 196 S. suis isolates were recovered. Each isolate was subcultured and its serotype identified using multiplex PCR. Slide agglutination combined with precipitation tests were used following multiplex PCR to differentiate the isolates showing similar sizes of amplified products specific to either serotype 1 or 14 and 2 or 1/2. Non-typable isolates by multiplex PCR were serotyped by the coagglutination test.ResultsOf the 196 isolates, 123 (62.8%) were typable and 73 (37.2%) were non-typable. This study revealed the presence of serotypes 1, 1/2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, and 30. Serotype 23 was the most prevalent (20/196, 10.2%), followed by serotype 9 (16/196, 8.2%), serotype 7 (16/196, 8.2%), and serotype 2 (11/196, 5.6%). The latter is the serotype responsible for most human cases.ConclusionAlmost all serotypes previously described are present in Northern Thailand. Therefore, this report provides useful data for future bacteriological studies.

Chlamydial infections in crocodiles have been described in several countries and in several different species. These are typically associated with severe pharyngitis and conjunctivitis, with death occurring secondary to compromise of the upper respiratory tract due to obstruction of the trachea. A population of ranched Siamese crocodiles in central Thailand experienced an epizootic of sudden death in juvenile animals. The affected animals had fulminant systemic disease primarily involving the liver and spleen but also affecting the kidneys, heart, and the whole of the respiratory tract. Chlamydia sp. were noted in liver and spleen during histopathological examination and confirmed with transmission electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequence of the PCR product suggested a novel Chlamydia sp. of Siamese crocodiles. Crocodile farming represents an important economy in several parts of the world. Epizootics, such as the one described in this manuscript in association with Chlamydia sp., can have devastating impact on the industry and represent a potential zoonosis of significant public health concern. This is the first report of Chlamydia sp. and Aeromonas sobria causing systemic disease in crocodiles as well as the first histopathological and ultrastructural description of Chlamydia infection in Siamese crocodiles.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether direct PCR (DP) gave similar results to culture prior to PCR (CPP) for detecting mycoplasmas in different types of pig tissues. A total of 724 samples obtained from lungs, tonsils, or synovial fluids from 270 slaughtered pigs were used. The history of clinical signs, lung score, and the presence of joint lesions were recorded during sample collection. The rates of detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, and Mycoplasma hyorhinis using both procedures were evaluated. The overall prevalences of M. hyopneumoniae, M. hyosynoviae, and M. hyorhinis were 40.3%, 12.3%, and 64.6%, respectively, and the detection rate depended on the sample type and the procedure used. With lung tissue, DP gave a higher detection rate for M. hyopneumoniae (77.4%) than CPP (38.5%). M. hyorhinis was detected by CPP at 15.6% and 18.1% and by DP at 31.5% and 5.2%, respectively. The positive rate derived from tonsil from CPP was closed to that of DP. Using synovial fluid could not yield any positive M. hyorhinis from CPP whereas 37.2% was positive from DP. In contrast, using sample tissue from lung and tonsil by CPP could show much higher positive number than that of DP. There was a significant relationship between joint lesion and M. hyorhinis detection by DP (P < 0.05) but not for M. hyosynoviae and M. hyorhinis detected by CPP. We speculated that lung was a proper sample for M. hyopneumoniae and M. hyorhinis detection by DP and CPP, respectively. Tonsil was likely the community of persistent M. hyosynoviae and M. hyorhinis with highly detection by CPP. Synovial fluid was apparently unsuitable for mycoplasmal culture. The accuracy of mycoplasmal detection may depend upon the type of sample relevant to the detection procedure used.