The northern biotype of Echinococcus granulosus occurs in North America and northern Eurasia in life-cycles involving cervids. Previously, cervid isolates of E. granulosus from North America have ...been characterized using molecular genetic techniques as the G8 genotype. In this study, 5 isolates of E. granulosus were collected from 4 reindeer and 1 moose in north-eastern Finland. DNA sequences within regions of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase I (NI)I) genes and the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) fragment of the ribosomal DNA were analysed. The mitochondrial nucleotide sequences were identical in all isolates, but high sequence variation was found in the ITS-1 region. Mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of the Finnish cervid E. granulosus and the camel strain (G6) of E. granulosus resembled closely each other. According to phylogenetic analyses, the Finnish isolates have close relationships also with the pig (G7) and cattle (G5) strains. Although some similarities were found with the previously published North American cervid strain (G8), particularly in the NDI sequence and some of the ITS-1 clones, the Finnish E. granulosus form represents a distinct, previously undescribed genotype of E. granulosus. The novel genotype is hereby named as the Fennoscandian cervid strain (G10).
Columnaris disease caused by Flavobacterium columnare is a problem in fish farming worldwide. During the last 15 yr, outbreaks have started to emerge in Finland. Flavobacterium columnare Type Strain ...NCIMB 2248T and 30 Finnish F. columnare isolates were studied using analysis of 16S rDNA by restriction-fragment length polymorphism (16S RFLP), length heterogeneity analysis of polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) products, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. All isolates fell into RFLP Genomovar I and had the same length in the LH-PCR analysis. Based on ARISA, 8 genetically different strains were selected for further analyses. The growth of these strains under different temperatures, NaCl concentrations, and pH values was tested. The Finnish F. columnare strains did not grow at NaCl concentrations >0.1% or at pH values < or = 6.5, and they were susceptible to several antimicrobial agents, but not to Polymyxin B or neomycin. These findings may aid in development of methods for disease management at fish farms.
Cases of papular stomatitis in Finnish reindeer have been reported for many years. The causative agent was thought to be Orf virus (ORFV), one of the Parapoxviridae, although this assumption was ...based mainly on clinical symptoms, pathology and electron microscopy. Here sequence analyses of the viral DNA isolated from a recent outbreak of disease in 1999-2000 are presented in comparison to that isolated from earlier outbreaks in 1992-1994. The results show that the virus isolated from the 1999-2000 outbreak is most closely related to Pseudocowpox virus, whereas those from previous years grouped with ORFV. The present study describes a method for genetic characterization and classification of parapoxviruses (PPVs) and provides for the first time an extended phylogenetic analysis of PPVs isolated from Finland, established members of the genus Parapoxvirus and selected members of the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae.
Two growth types of Renibacterium salmoninarum were isolated from subclinically infected rainbow trout, one producing the smooth colonies typical of R. salmoninarum and the other forming a thin film ...on the surface of the agar with no separate colonies. The atypical growth was present on kidney disease medium agar in primary cultures of the kidney but not on selective kidney disease medium (SKDM). Fluorescent antibody staining of the fresh isolate and polymerase chain reaction amplification were the most reliable techniques to identify the atypical growth of R. salmoninarum. The condition was reversible, with growth reverting from atypical to the smooth colony form in experimentally infected rainbow trout and under laboratory conditions. There was no mortality, or any clinical signs of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in the fish challenged with the atypical growth, although small numbers of smooth colonies of R. salmoninarum were isolated from 8% of these fish. The atypical growth reported here may explain some of the failures of culture, when SKDM agar alone is used for the detection of BKD in subclinically infected fish.
Aims: To study the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in the faecal material of reindeer, and to identify the isolates by means of a polyphasic approach. In addition, to study the genetic diversity of ...Camp. hyointestinalis subsp. hyointestinalis reindeer isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Methods and Results: The material, collected during the slaughter period in autumn 1998, comprised 399 faecal contents from the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), a semi-domesticated, meat-producing ruminant of northern Finland. These samples came from 16 herds in the areas of eight reindeer slaughterhouses. Samples were cultured by methods suitable for isolation of fastidious Campylobacter species. Of all samples, 6% (24/399) were Campylobacter-positive. Phenotypic characteristics, SDS-PAGE protein patterns, dot blot DNA-DNA hybridization, 23S rDNA restriction fragment polymorphism analysis and PFGE identified the isolates as Camp. hyointestinalis subsp. hyointestinalis. Conclusions: Campylobacter hyointestinalis subsp. hyointestinalis was the only Campylobacter species isolated from reindeer in this study. The isolates showed high genomic diversity in PFGE with the restriction enzymes SmaI and KpnI. Significance and Impact of the Study: PFGE analysis is a useful subtyping method for epidemiological studies. Contaminated reindeer meat can be a source for human infections.
Finnish isolates (n=37) of Flavobacterium psychrophilum isolated from farmed salmonids were studied using phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The characteristics of isolates were compared with ...the characteristics of Swedish and Estonian F. psychrophilum isolates and the type strain, F. psychrophilum NCIMB 1947T. Multiple isolates from eight disease outbreaks were examined to determine differences between isolates from a single outbreak. The F. psychrophilum isolates represented a biochemically homogeneous group. However, some minor differences in biochemical and physiological characteristics were observed. Seven different antigenic patterns among Finnish isolates were detected and the results suggest a new serotype of F. psychrophilum. Using ClaΙ, HaeΙΙΙ and PvuΙΙ restriction enzymes in ribotyping analyses 13 different genotypes were demonstrated and a possible relationship between serotype Fd and genotype F1 was determined. There were no significant differences between the isolates from Finland, Estonia, Sweden and the type strain of F. psychrophilum.
Aeromonas species in fish, fish-eggs, shrimp and freshwater Hänninen, Marja-liisa; Oivanen, Pekka; Hirvelä-koski, Varpu
International journal of food microbiology,
1997, 1997-Jan, 1997-1-00, 19970101, Letnik:
34, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Aeromonas spp. are common contaminants of fish and seafood. They also are ubiquitous in the water environment. Aeromonas spp. were identified in 27 (93%) of 29 fish, in 17 (100%.) fish-egg, in two ...(16%) of 12 shrimp samples and in 23 (100%) freshwater samples. In total, 117
Aeromonas strains were isolated from 69 positive samples, several samples having had two or three
Aeromonas species. Included in this were also 26 mesophilic
Aeromonas strains isolated in association with the study on fish diseases. The distribution of the species into 13 known hybridization groups (HGs) were studied by phenotypic and molecular methods. Ribopattern analysis of
SmaI digested DNA was used for the identification of HGs. The predominant HG in fish, fish-egg and freshwater samples was
A. hydrophila HG 3 because 63% (
22
37
), 28% (
16
57
) or 80% (
16
20
) of the strains, respectively, were in HG 3.
A. hydrophila HG 2 was also common in fresh fish samples but was not identified in fish-egg samples. HG 7 was common in fish samples studied for fish diseases and in freshwater samples. Strains which were not allotted to any HGs were common (19 of 143 strains).
A. hydrophila HG 1,
A. caviae HG 4,
A. veronii subspecies
sobria or subspecies
veronii HG
8
10
known to be associated with human diarrhea were uncommon in all samples. The three strains isolated from frozen shrimp during two suspected food-borne outbreaks were
A. hydrophila HG 2 and HG 3.
Two surveys were carried out (during 1988 and 1995) to estimate the prevalence of bovine mastitis in Finland. In 1988, 17,111 quarter milk samples were obtained from 4495 cows, and in 1995 the ...corresponding figures were 10,410 and 2648. Antimicrobial susceptibility of mastitis pathogens was studied. Prevalence of mastitis on cow basis decreased from 47.8% in 1988 to 37.8% in 1995. Staphylococci was the largest group of pathogens isolated. The proportion of Staphylococcus aureus decreased and that of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) increased. The proportion of strains resistant to at least one antibacterial drug increased with regard to S. aureus from 36.9% in 1988, to 63.6% in 1995 and with CNS from 26.6% to 49.7%. Most of the increase in antibacterial resistance was due to a higher number of beta-lactamase producing strains. Multiresistance also increased, but it was proportional to the overall increase in resistance. All the predominant mastitis streptococci were susceptible to beta-lactams tested.
The effect of different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite on Renibacterium salmoninarum and the survival of the bacterium in autoclaved river water and groundwater were examined. The disinfection ...trial was performed using R. salmoninarum ATCC 33209. The concentrations of free chlorine were 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg 1(-1), the contact times were 5, 15, and 30 min and 24 h, and the test suspensions were subcultured both on Kidney disease medium (KDM2) agar and in 3 parallel KDM2 broths, which were then subcultured on KDM2 and selective KDM (SKDM) agar. The survival of the bacterium in river water and groundwater was studied using 4 isolates of R. salmoninarum including ATCC 33209. Treatment with sodium hypochlorite effectively reduced the number of culturable cells of R. salmoninarum, but use of the recovery broth showed that small numbers of cells remained viable at all concentrations of free chlorine. The numbers of R. salmoninarum decreased to an undetectable level after 4 wk incubation in the survival trials, but low numbers of colonies were again found in the subculture after 5 wk incubation. Viable cells of R. salmoninarum were still detected in subcultures of all strains after 20 wk of incubation in river water.
Renibacterium salmoninarum is the etiologic agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) occurring worldwide in salmonid fish. This bacterium has previously been regarded as a strict aerobic species. ...However, in this study it is shown that
R. salmoninarum grows well in microaerophilic atmosphere, the colony size being larger and the colonies being more mucoid than in aerobic conditions. Microaerophilic cultivation might be one possibility to increase the sensitivity of the cultivation method for the detection of this slowly growing pathogen.
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