Abstract
BackgroundMannheimia haemolytica has been recognized as the principal cause of pneumonic pasteurellosis in sheep and goats. It is one of the important diseases of small ruminants in Ethiopia. While annual vaccination using a monovalent vaccine (inactivated Pasteurella multocida biotype A) is common, respiratory diseases are still reported in various parts of Ethiopia. This suggests the need for further investigation into the species and strains responsible for the disease, which is vital information for development of a multivalent vaccine. The objective of the current study was to isolate M. heamolytica associated with pneumonic cases of sheep in selected areas of Central Ethiopia, determine its role and the strains/genotypes of the bacterium circulating in the study area.ResultsBacteriological analysis of nasal swab samples collected from a total of 76 pneumonic cases of sheep showed that M. haemolytica was isolated from 26 of them while B.trehalosi from two cases. Further molecular analyses of the isolates using M. haemolytica species-specific and M.haemolytica serotype-1 antigen specific PCR assays revealed, 26 of the isolates were identified as M. haemolytica of which 21 of them were M. haemolytica serotype-1. Both M. haemolytica and B.trehalosi isolates were not detected in a PCR assay targeting capsular biosynthesis gene (capA) of P.multocida despite the non-specific products observed in M. haemolytica isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of M. haemolytica isolates included in this study in comparison with the reference strains with respect to PHSSA and Rpt2 genes revealed that the Ethiopian M. haemolytica isolates constituted three distinct genotypes consistent with site of origin.ConclusionThe study indicated that M.haemolytica is commonly associated with cases of pneumonia in sheep in the study areas of central Ethiopia although the remaining other pathogens responsible for majority of the cases are yet to be determined. Molecular characterization revealed the existence of three genotypes of M. haemolytica circulating in the study areas consistent to the site of isolation. The findings suggest further extensive work to determine all pathogens associated with sheep pneumonia and the strain distribution of M. heamolytica to understand its molecular epidemiology at national level and design cost effective prevention and control methods.
Highlights
Sheep constitute a significant proportion of the Ethiopian livestock industry, with the total population estimated at 26.1 million [1, 2]
M. haemolytica was found to be commonly associated with pneumonic cases of sheep in the study areas where it was isolated from 26 of the total 76 (34.21) cases while Bibersteinia trehalosi was associated with two of the cases (Table 3) the majority of the cases were due to some other agents that need yet to be determined
Further molecular analyses of the isolates using primers targeting Pasteurella haemolytica serotype specific antigens (PHSSA) and Rpt2 genes of M. haemolytica in a multiplex PCR assay resulted that all 26 isolates phenotypically identified as M. haemolytica were positive for Rpt2 gene, 21 of them being positive for PHSSA gene belonging to serotype A1
Summary
Sheep constitute a significant proportion of the Ethiopian livestock industry, with the total population estimated at 26.1 million [1, 2]. The term pasteurellosis was broadly used to designate a number of infections in domestic animals mainly caused by three species notably M. haemolytica, B. trehalosi and P. multocida. These bacterial species are non-motile, non-sporing, aerobic, fermentative, Gram negative rod and cocco-bacilli usually being pleomorphic [9, 10]. Mannheimia haemolytica has been recognized as the principal cause of pneumonic pasteurellosis in sheep and goats It is one of the important diseases of small ruminants in Ethiopia. While annual vaccination using a monovalent vaccine (inactivated Pasteurella multocida biotype A) is common, respiratory diseases are still reported in various parts of Ethiopia This suggests the need for further investigation into the species and strains responsible for the disease, which is vital information for development of a multivalent vaccine. The objective of the current study was to isolate M. heamolytica associated with pneumonic cases of sheep in selected areas of Central Ethiopia, determine its role and the strains/genotypes of the bacterium circulating in the study area
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