Contamination by Staphylococcus aureus of food produced from animal sources may have diverse and multifactorial causes that depend on geographical distribution. The goal of this study was to isolate and characterise S. aureus strains from contaminated fermented pork sausage, which is a local food of northeastern Thailand. S. aureus strains were isolated from local pork sausage, and the presence of classical enterotoxins was determined by PCR and reversed passive latex agglutination. These results were compared with strains derived from hospitalised patients and healthy carriers. Additionally, production of extracellular enzymes and haemolysin, biofilm formation, and antibiotic susceptibility were assessed. S. aureus was identified in 36 sausage isolates (60%). The strains positive for staphylococcal enterotoxin A were more frequently found in isolates from sausage and healthy carriers than in those from patients. All tested S. aureus strains were positive for DNase, lipase, proteinase, haemolysin, and biofilm formation; notably, strains isolated from food and healthy carriers displayed similar values. Most isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin, while none were to methicillin. Thai fermented pork sausages are associated with a high risk of staphylococcal food poisoning, which may be linked to contamination caused by carriers. Dissemination of knowledge regarding best practices in sanitation and hygiene is important in local communities.

An efficient, single-step method for purification of the 110-kilodalton (kDa) hemolysin of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was developed. An immunoaffinity column was made by cross-linking murine monoclonal antibody 8C2 to the 110-kDa hemolysin of A pleuropneumoniae strain J45 serotype 5 to protein A-agarose beads. Purified hemolysin with high hemolytic activity was obtained after washing the column with phosphate-buffered saline solution, and eluting the hemolysin with 50 mM diethylamine, pH 11.0. The same column was also used to purify the hemolysin from A pleuropneumoniae strain 4074 serotype 1. The purification procedure could be completed within 5 hours, and almost 50% of the total hemolytic activity and hemolysin protein was recovered in pure form.

The cytotoxic effect of Moraxella bovis 118F on bovine neutrophils was evaluated and characterized by use of a 51Cr release assay. Neutrophils harvested from healthy adult cattle were labeled with 51Cr. The leukocidic activity produced by M bovis 118F, a hemolytic strain of M bovis, was heat-labile. A live culture of strain 118F, at a ratio of 100 bacteria/neutrophil, released 97.7% of the 51Cr from labeled neutrophils. Neither a heat-killed preparation of M bovis 118F nor a live or heat-killed preparation of M bovis IBH63 (a nonhemolytic and nonpathogenic strain) induced significant (P > 0.05) release of 51Cr. Moraxella bovis 118F broth culture filtrates prepared for evaluation of leukocidic activity also were evaluated for hemolytic activity. These 2 toxic activities had several characteristics in common. Both were filterable, heat-labile, produced by a hemolytic strain, and were released during early logarithmic phase growth from broth cultures. Leukocidic and hemolytic activities were protected from degradation by phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride, a serine protease inhibitor. Leukocidic and hemolytic activities were dependent on calcium ions. Filtrate resulted in 54.1% 51Cr release from labeled neutrophils and contained 646.7 hemolytic U/ml, respectively, when saline (0.85% NaCl) + 10 mM CaCl2 solution was used as diluent. Neither saline solution nor saline + 10 mM MgCl2 solution supported leukocidic or hemolytic activity. Serum, obtained from several calves 10 to 38 days after M bovis inoculation, substantially neutralized leukocidic and hemolytic activities, compared with paired preinoculation serum samples. In addition, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was detected when the ability of each calf's postinfection serum to neutralize leukocidic activity was compared with the ability of the serum to neutralize hemolytic activity.

Serum samples obtained from feeder calves before and after entry into the market system (days 0 to 7) were assayed for antibodies to Pasteurella haemolytica biotype A, serotype 1 capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and lipopolysaccharide/outer membrane protein (LPSp) by isotype in a kinetic-augmented, antigen-capture ELSIA. These test results, plus indirect hemagglutination (IHA) antibody titers, and hemolysin-in-gel test (HIGT) findings were compared with clinical performance data during the initial 4 weeks in the feedlot (receiving period). High concentrations of HIGT antibody, at the point of initial assembly of feeder calves at weaning and during the subsequent 7-day marketing period, were associated with freedom from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) during the receiving period. High or rapidly increasing concentrations of anti-CPS IgG1 during the marketing period were also associated with less BRD. However, high concentrations of anti-LPSp IgG1 during the marketing period were associated with increased BRD during the receiving period. There was no correlation between the concentrations of antibody determined by IHA tests early in the marketing period and freedom from BRD during the receiving period. High concentrations of antibody determined by this test at entry into the feedlot (day 7) were associated with a high incidence of BRD. Calves vaccinated with a P haemolytica bacterin had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher HIGT values and concentrations of anti-LPPp IgG1 and IHA antibody than did nonvaccinated calves on entry into the feedlot (day 7). Vaccination appeared to have little effect on the amount of anti-CPS IgG1. Of all the tests used to quantitate antibody, the HIGT correlated best with clinical performance. High concentrations of HIGT antibody during the marketing period predicted freedom from BRD during the receiving period. When calves were vaccinated with tissue culture-derived and conventional P haemolytica bacterins in oil adjuvant at 28-day intervals and tested for antibody responses by isotype on days 0, 28, and 35, there were clear and highly significant increases in anti-LPSp IgG1 activity. Also, the amount of anti-LPSp IgM and the HIGT and IHA antibody titers increased significantly. In all tests, the antibody response was highest to the tissue culture-derived bacterin. High concentrations of HIGT antibody, as found in vaccinated animals, were correlated with resistance to transthoracic inoculation of virulent P haemolytica.

The characteristics of 29 Chilean field strains of Streptococcus suis recovered between 2007 and 2011 from pigs with clinical signs at different farms were studied. Serotyping with use of the coagglutination test revealed that all but 1 strain belonged to serotype 6; the remaining strain was serotype 22. All the serotype-6 strains were suilysin (hemolysin)-negative; in addition, they were found to be genotypically homogeneous by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) and sensitive to ampicillin, ceftiofur, penicillin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The results indicate that, in contrast to what is generally observed in other countries, a single clone of S. suis was isolated from diseased pigs in the central region of Chile.