Apparent cross-infection with a single strain of Malassezia pachydermatis on a pig farm.

Twenty-nine isolates of Malassezia pachydermatis were recovered from a single farm of 100 pigs in Croatia. In contrast, 290 farm pigs from other locations (northern parts of Croatia and Slovenia) yielded only two non-lipid dependent isolates of M. pachydermatis using the same swabbing procedure. Ten of the 29 isolates from a single farm had their identity confirmed by karyotyping, and were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. All but one of these isolates sub-typed were indistinguishable, one isolate produced a slightly different RFLP profile. Control isolates recovered from dog skin gave RFLP profiles that were easily distinguished from those produced by the pig isolates. These results suggest that a single strain of M. pachydermatis had colonised this pig herd.

Epidemiological and microbiological study of an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis in sheep.

After several thousand sheep had been imported from Australia and New Zealand to Croatia during 1995, many native sheep that had been in contact with the imported animals acquired a severe ocular disease closely resembling infectious keratoconjunctivitis. In affected flocks glucose-fermenting mycoplasma were isolated from 48 per cent of conjunctival swabs and Branhamella ovis from 58 per cent. Twelve of 42 culturally and biochemically identical isolates were identified as Mycoplasma conjunctivae by polymerase chain reaction. From the conjunctivae of two animals M conjunctivae and M arginini were isolated in mixed culture. For many reasons most farmers removed the imported animals from their flocks and only sporadic cases of the disease were recognised in 1996. At the end of 1997, six flocks which were clinically free of the disease but had been affected during 1995, and five flocks with no history of the severe ocular disease were examined clinically and microbiologically, and were found to be free of M conjunctivae infection. At the time, B ovis was cultured almost exclusively from sheep originating from flocks which had been affected during 1995 and/or 1996. It was usually isolated in pure culture or as the predominant bacterial species, and was often accompanied by mild conjunctivitis. There were no microbiologically confirmed new cases of infectious keratoconjunctivitis during 1998 and 1999.

An outbreak of abortion in mares associated with Salmonella abortusequi infection.

An abortion outbreak occurred in a herd of 38 horses, 26 of which were pregnant mares. Twenty-one mares aborted between 5-10 months of gestation. In no case were there indications of impending abortion. Pathoanatomical, histopathological, virological and bacteriological examinations were carried out on 4 aborted fetuses. Histopathology identified Gram-negative bacteria compatible with salmonella in all 4 placentae. By subsequent bacteriological examination Salmonella abortusequi was isolated as the single causative agent in each case. Nonmotile Salmonella abortusequi with antigenic formula 4,12:-:- was isolated from one of the 4 fetuses. The described episode of equine abortion clearly indicates that Salmonella abortusequi has not been eradicated from Europe as previously thought.

Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 strains isolated from pigs.

The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for thirty-three epidemiologicaly unrelated clinical isolates of Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 were determined in relation to ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, amoxicillin, clavulanate-amoxicillin, penicillin G, cephalexin, gentamicin, streptomycin, erythromycin, tylosin and doxycycline, using the microtitre broth dilution procedure described by the U.S. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Gentamicin was the most active compound tested, with an MIC for 90% of the strains tested (MIC(90)) of 0.4 mg/L. Overall, 70% of strains were resistant to doxycycline (MIC(90) > or = 100.0 mg/L), followed by penicillin G (51% of strains) (MIC(90) + or = 100.0 mg/L). Resistance to amoxicillin and ampicillin was 36.4% (MIC(90) 12.5 mg/L) and 33.3% (MIC(90) 50.0 mg/L), respectively. 15.2% of S. suis strains were resistant to streptomycin, tylosin and cephalexin with MIC90 values of 25.0 mg/L, 12.5 mg/L and 25.0 mg/L, respectively. A combination of ampicillin and sulbactam (MIC(90) 6.3 mg/L) and a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate (MIC(90) 3.1 mg/L) as well as erythromycin (1.6 mg/L) were of the same efficacy, with a total of 9.1% resistant S. suis strains. This high percentage of resistance to doxycycline and penicillin G precludes the use of these antibiotics as empiric therapy of swine diseases.

Mycoplasmas associated with bovine conjunctivitis and keratoconjunctivitis.

In two separate herds of fattening calves a sudden-onset outbreak of ocular disease with profuse lacrimation occurred. The disease resembled the early stage of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis but after a few days the clinical signs of bronchopneumonia appeared. From conjunctival swabs Mycoplasma (M.) bovigenitalium, M. bovirhinis and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus were isolated. Moraxella bovis infection was not established. In one of the herds M. bovigenitalium was also found in the pneumonic lungs of dead calves. In one herd M. bovoculi was isolated from a cow with chronic keratoconjunctivitis, housed together with affected calves. Mycoplasmas were not isolated from ocular swabs of six bulls originating from a Reproductive Centre with temporary occurrence of unilateral serous conjunctivitis resistant to antibiotic therapy.

[Aspergillus oryzae as a cause of keratomycosis in the horse]. / Aspergillus oryzae als Ursache einer Keratomykose beim Pferd.

A case of a spontaneous mycokeratitis of a previously injured cornea in a horse is described. The infection was caused by Aspergillus oryzae. After application of Chloramphenicol ophthalmic ointment a corneal clouding was found in the centre which was circularly sharply defined and which - after dispensing Dexamethason-Neomycin eye drops - expanded all over to a purulent keratitis. The demarcated and initially non purulent mycotic lesions largely improved after the application of tincture of iodine, whereas the purulent keratitis could be completely cured only by a lasting treatment with Lugol's solution.

In vitro antibacterial activity of moxalactam, a new broad-spectrum semisynthetic antibiotic.

The antibacterial activity of moxalactam was studied in vitro against 229 clinical isolates of gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic microorganisms using the agar dilution technique. Mueller-Hinton agar was used as growth medium. The results were compared to those obtained with cefamandole. All isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were inhibited by moxalactam at a concentration of 8 microgram/ml or less. The concentrations of cefamandole with which the same effect was obtained were 0.5 microgram/ml and 2 microgram/ml respectively. Moxalactam was highly inhibitory against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Proteus morganii - 90% of the strains were inhibited by 0.125 microgram/ml. Moxalactam was highly superior against Proteus rettgeri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are usually resistant to cefamandole: the MIC100 and MIC90 were 0.25 microgram/ml and 8 microgram/ml respectively. High sensitivity was found in strains of Salmonella species, nine of which were Salmonella typhi: the MIC90 was < 0.063 microgram/ml versus the eightfold higher concentration of cefamandole. The broad-spectrum activity and unusual MIC patterns of moxalactam - eight or manyfold higher concentrations of cefamandole were needed to inhibit 90% of most gram-negative strains studied - make moxalactam an unusual and promising antibiotic.