This is the first report of molecular characterization of US erysipelas field isolates and vaccine strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Erysipelas in pigs is mainly caused by E. rhusiopathiae serotypes 1a, 1b, and 2. In 2001, erysipelas reemerged as a clinical problem in pigs in the midwestern United States. In this work 90 erysipelas isolates (58 recent and 28 archived field isolates as well as 4 live-vaccine strains) were genetically characterized. Because of the limited availability of antiserum, 74/90 isolates (44/58 recent isolates) were serotyped. The serotype of the majority (79.6%) of the 44 recent isolates tested was determined to be 1a, 13.6% were serotype 1b, and 6.8% of recent isolates were serologically untypeable. Among all 90 isolates, 23 different PFGE patterns were identified. There were 43 isolates identified as serotype 1a with 4 genetic patterns: 38/43, 1A(I); 3/43, 1A(III); 1/43, 1B(V); and 1/43, 3B. Sixteen serotype 1b isolates had 11 unique genetic patterns: 4/16 were genotype 1B(III), 2/16 were genotype 3A(I), and 1/16 was in genotype groups 1A(V), 1A(VI), 1A(VII), 1B(I), 1B(IV), 1B(VII), 2, 4, and 5. Six genetic patterns were distinguished among the 10 serotype 2 isolates: 1A(IV) (1/10), 1A(V) (1/10), 1B(VI) (1/10), 2 (4/10), 7 (1/10), and 8 (2/8). Erysipelas vaccine strains (modified live) were similar to each other but different from current field strains, sharing 78.6% identity with the most prevalent genotype 1A(I) based on the PFGE-SmaI pattern. Compared with serotyping, PFGE genotyping is a more distinguishing technique, easy to perform and not dependent on the limited availability of antiserum.

Swine Salmonella isolates (n ‫؍‬ 674) from various locations throughout the United States and Canada were analyzed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with XbaI. PFGE subtypes were analyzed by cluster analysis and compared to conventional serotyping results. The analysis showed a correlation of serotype to PFGE subtype. In addition, conserved fragments were identified within the restriction patterns that were unique to each serotype. PFGE using XbaI restriction provided a possible alternative method for screening and identifying swine Salmonella serotypes.

Swine Salmonella isolates (n=674) from various locations throughout the United States and Canada were analyzed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with Xba1. PFGE subtypes were analyzed by cluster analysis and compared to conventional serotyping results. The analysis showed a correlation of serotype to PFGE subtype. In addition, conserved fragments were identified within the restriction patterns that were unique to each serotype. PFGE using Xba1 restriction provides a screening method for identifying swine Salmonella serotypes.

Glycine max (soybean) seed were sown in root substrates composed of 80:0:20 or 0:80:20 coconut coir dust (coir):Sphagnum peat (peat):perlite (v/v) amended with dolomitic limestone to a pH of 5.5. Substrates were inoculated with Phytophthora megasperma races 5 and 25 isolated from soybean and grown in dilute liquid V-8 cultures. Uninoculated controls were included. Containers were watered daily to maintain moisture levels at or near container capacity. The experiment was repeated twice. Plants grown in peat-based root substrates inoculated with P. megasperma suffered 50% to 100% mortality. No plants in coir-based root substrates displayed visually apparent infection symptoms. Soybean seed were also sown in root substrates that contained 0:80:20, 20:60:20, 40:40:20, 60:20:20 or 80:0:20 coir:peat:perlite (v/v). Inoculum of P. megasperma races 1, 5, and 25 was grown on water agar and diluted in deionized water. Solution containing 20,000 colony-forming units (oospores) was mixed into the root substrate of each container. Uninoculated controls were included. As the proportion of coir in the substrate increased, the mortality, the number of plants displaying disease symptoms and the severity of disease symptoms decreased. Plants grown in substrates containing at least 60% coir displayed no visually evident disease symptoms.

The sensitivity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay (qPCR) was shown to be 10,000 Salmonella colony forming units (cfu) of bacteria per gram of fecal matter; this means that this rapid and specific test is a useful tool for the industry. The study found a trend toward a reduced, but not statistically significant, amount of Salmonella in lairage pens from standard hygiene practices of washing pens between groups of swine. This reduction of Salmonella in lairage pens may result in decrease transmission between groups, and, ultimately, in fewer numbers of contaminated carcasses at slaughter. It might also allow one to determine if on farm and transport methods are reducing Salmonella fecal incidence in lairage pens. The lack of significance is partially due to the low number of positive pens in this study before washing. Due to the low numbers found in pens in this study, samples were not collected from transport as they would have not lead to significant differences between various treatments.