Antimicrobial resistance profiling and molecular typing of ruminant-borne isolates of Clostridium perfringens from Xinjiang, China.

OBJECTIVES: Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) can cause intestinal diseases in livestock and humans, which seriously threatens the healthy development of animal husbandry and human food safety. Here, the characteristics of antimicrobial resistance and molecular typing of ruminant-borne strains of C. perfringens in Xinjiang, China were explored and profiled. METHODS: A total of 307 clinical feces collected from ruminants (cattle and sheep) with diarrheal symptoms were screened for C. perfringens. The recovered isolates were characterized in respect to their antimicrobial resistance pattern and molecular typing. RESULTS: A total of 109 isolates of C. perfringens were isolated from 307 clinical feces of ruminants, most of which displayed the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. Demonstration of the quinolone-resistance gene was the highest among the isolates (70.6%). The multiplex PCR typing based on toxin genes showed that type A and type D strains made up 82.6% (90/109) and 17.4% (19/109), among which, the isolates carrying ß2 gene occupied 43.3% (39/90) of type A strains and 31.6% (6/19) of type D strains. These isolates were divided into 6 genotypes (I-VI) by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence-based PCR (ERIC-PCR) method. A total of 33 ST types (ST1-ST33) were identified by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. CONCLUSION: C. perfringens isolates with multidrug resistance (MDR) were frequent and circulating in ruminants. Among them, type A-Ⅰ-ST19 was the dominant genotype of C. perfringens, displaying obvious genetic diversity. This study provided important epidemiological data for the risk assessment of food safety associated with ruminant-borne C. perfringens in Xinjiang, China.

Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Camels in the Tianshan Mountains Pastoral Area in China.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal parasites are some of the most common pathogens which are seriously harmful to the camel's health. The infection status of gastrointestinal parasites in camels (Camelus bactrianus) in the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the species and infection intensity of gastrointestinal tract parasites in local camels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 362 fresh faecal samples were collected and examined for parasite eggs using the saturated saline floating and natural sedimentation method. The parasite eggs were subjected to morphological and molecular examination and identification, and the infection rate and mean intensity of the parasites were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 15 gastrointestinal tract parasite species' eggs were identified, with a detection rate of 100%. Ostertagia spp. (100%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (98.1%) were dominant. Camels were often coinfected by 5-14 species. The average number of eggs per gram of faeces was higher for Ostertagia spp. (298), Haemonchus contortus (176) and Nematodirus spp. (138). The number of species of parasites infecting young camels was significantly lower than that of adult camels, but the infection intensity in young camels was significantly higher. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal parasites were highly prevalent in camels from the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China. This finding provides important epidemiological data for the prevention and control of associated infections in camels.

Molecular detection and genetic variability of Ehrlichia canis in pet dogs in Xinjiang, China.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: As a tick-borne zoonotic pathogen, Ehrlichia canis has already posed a threat to public health and safety. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence and molecular characteristics of E. canis in pet dogs in Xinjiang, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 297 blood samples of pet dogs and 709 skin ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) were subjected to molecular detection using PCR for E. canis 16S rRNA gene, and then, positive samples were amplified, sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed for E. canis gp36 gene. RESULTS: The PCR detection showed that the positive rate of PCR was 12.12% (36/297) in blood samples and 15.23% (108/709) in tick samples, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of E. canis gp36 protein, these E. canis strains in different geographical regions of the world can be divided into Genogroup I and Genogroup II. Among them, the Xinjiang epidemic strain XJ-6 and 533, 36, 1055, Kasur1, and Jake strains were clustered into subgroup 1.1 of Genogroup I, while the XJ-2, XJ-21, and XJ-35 strains and the TWN1, TWN4, CM180, and CM196 strains were closely related and belonged to subgroup 2.2 of Genogroup II, displaying high genetic diversity. CONCLUSION: This is the first study focusing on the molecular epidemiology of E. canis infection in pet dogs, which revealed that E. canis infection had been occurred in Xinjiang, China. More importantly, this study confirmed that the substantial variability in immunoreactive protein gp36 from E. canis strains circulating in pet dogs.

Molecular Detection and Genetic Diversity of porcine Circovirus Type 3 in Commercial Pig Farms in Xinjiang Province, China.

INTRODUCTION: Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is a newly discovered porcine circovirus. The molecular characteristics and genetic evolution of PCV3 in Xinjiang province, China still being unclear, the aim of the study was their elucidation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 393 clinical samples were collected from pigs on commercial farms in nine different regions of Xinjiang and phylogenetic analysis based on full-length Cap genes was performed. RESULTS: The prevalence at farm level was 100%, while in all the tested samples it was 22.39%. Nine PCV3 strains were detected in Xinjiang province and they shared 98.9-99.3% nucleotide and 97.5-100.0% Cap gene amino acid sequence identities with other epidemic strains from China and abroad. Compared with other epidemic strains of PCV3, there were 26 base mutation sites in the Cap gene in the nine Xinjiang strains, resulting in the mutation of amino acids at positions 20, 24, 75, 77, 108, 111 and 206. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these strains can be divided into two different genetic groups, to the first of which five strains affiliated and divided between subgroups 1.1 and 1.2, and to the second of which the other four strains affiliated and similarly divided between subgroups 2.1 and 2.2. CONCLUSION: PCV3 circulates widely among commercial pig farms in Xinjiang province, China, and displays obvious genetic diversity. The results provide epidemiological information useful for the prevention and control of PCV3 infection in the pig industry.

Antimicrobial resistance, virulence gene profile and molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from dairy cows in Xinjiang Province, northwest China.

OBJECTIVES: Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a major pathogen causing dairy cow mastitis and endometritis. Recently, animal-derived SA strains pose a serious public-health threat. However, little is known about antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors of SA isolated from dairy cows in Xinjiang, China. In this study, antimicrobial resistance, virulence gene profiles and genotypes of SA from clinical mastitis and endometritis in dairy cows were investigated. METHODS: A total of 337 clinical samples (186 milk samples from clinical mastitis cases and 151 endometritis swab samples) were collected from 15 large-scale dairy farms and were screened for SA. All SA isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of virulence genes and molecular typing. RESULTS: A total of 155 SA strains were isolated; 22 (14.2%) were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Resistance of MRSA isolates was significantly higher than that of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The percentage of virulence genes varied between MSSA and MRSA. The strains could be divided into two SCCmec types (I and IVa), three agr types (I, II and III) and four spa types (t779, t2883, t13751 and t1939). MLST identified 14 sequence types, among which ST1 and ST9 had relatively high detection rates. CONCLUSIONS: These findings revealed that ST9-t1939-agrI was the main genotype of MSSA, whilst ST1-SCCmecI-t1939-agrI was the main genotype of MRSA from dairy cows. More significantly, a novel ST (STX) was identified for the first time. The majority of SA strains from dairy cows were multidrug-resistant and carried multiple virulence genes, posing a potential public-health risk.

Characteristic profiles of biofilm, enterotoxins and virulence of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from dairy cows in Xinjiang Province, China

As an important zoonotic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus has led to serious mastitis and endometritis in infected dairy cows. In this study, a total of 164 strains of S. aureus were isolated from dairy cows in Xinjiang Province, China, and subjected to assays to determine drug susceptibility and biofilm (BF) formation ability. Enterotoxin-related genes were detected, and the transcription levels of genes related to BF formation were determined by using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, the pathogenicity of isolates with different BF formation abilities was determined by measuring their hemolysis activity, half lethal dose (LD₅₀) and organ bacterial load. The results showed that 86.0% of S. aureus isolates could form BF. Among them, 42.1% of the strains had weak BF formation ability, and most strains with a strong BF formation ability were ica gene carriers. The S. aureus isolates displayed multidrug resistance and their drug resistance was positively correlated with their BF formation ability. Moreover, 96.3% of the S. aureus isolates carried enterotoxin genes. Among them, the detection rates of the novel enterotoxin genes were higher than those of conventional enterotoxin genes. Furthermore, isolates with a strong BF formation ability had higher LD50 but lower hemolysis ability and organ bacterial load than those of the isolates with weak or no BF ability. However, isolates without BF ability produced more severe pathological changes than those of isolates with strong BF formation ability. These findings suggest that higher BF ability and presence of novel enterotoxin genes are important characteristics of S. aureus isolates from dairy cows in Xinjiang Province, China, and such isolates may pose potential threats to food safety.

Serological and molecular investigation of porcine sapovirus infection in piglets in Xinjiang, China.

Porcine sapovirus (PoSaV) is one of the important pathogens that cause acute gastroenteritis in piglets. A survey on the infection and epidemic status of PoSaV in Xinjiang Province, Northwest China, was conducted in this study. We applied indirect viral protein 1 (VP1)-ELISA method to detect specific antibodies in 1218 serum samples of 3-month-old piglets collected from eight regions in Xinjiang during 2013-2014 and also detected PoSaV in 146 diarrhea stools of piglets in these eight regions using RT-PCR technology. The results showed that the PoSaV-serological positive rates in piglets in eight different regions in Xinjiang were between 32.82 and 47.06% with a mean rate of 37.68%. The average positive rate of PCR in stools of piglets was 3.42%. Sequencing and comparative analysis of five PCR-amplified DNA fragments revealed that four epidemic strains of PoSaV (swine/XJ-KO1, swine/XJ-AK2, swine/XJ-KS1, and swine/XJ-SHZ1) shared high nucleotide and amino acid identities with Cowden strain, while strain swine/XJ-AK1 shared higher high identities with Po/OH-JJ681/2000/US isolate. Phylogenetic clustering further verified that the epidemic strains of PoSaVs, i.e., swine/XJ-KO1, swine/XJ-AK2, swine/XJ-KS1, and swine/XJ-SHZ1, belong to genogroup (GIII) while swine/XJ-AK1 belongs to GVI. This survey confirmed for the first time that PoSaV infection was common in piglets in Xinjiang, China, and that the epidemic strains exist at least in both GIII and GVI clusters. This study provided the useful epidemiological data for scientific control and prevention of this disease.

Serological and molecular survey of sheep infected with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in Xinjiang, China.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is one of the most important infectious diseases that threaten sheep production. In order to investigate the epidemic status of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection in sheep, indirect hemagglutination assay was used to analyze 1679 serum samples collected from four different breeds of sheep (Kazak sheep, Hu sheep, Merino sheep, and Duolang sheep) in six regions in Xinjiang between 2012 and 2014. One thousand one hundred sixty-nine sheep nasal swabs and 180 lungs were PCR analyzed. The results showed that the average positive rates of the serum samples were 17.75 %. The positive rates were between 9.76 and 30.61 % in the four breeds. Among them, the Hu sheep had a significantly higher rate than other breeds (P < 0.05). The average positive rates of nasal swabs and lungs were 10.18 and 28.89 %, respectively. Based on the phylogenetic trees of 16S RNA gene, the isolates were closest to those strains isolated from inland areas of China, indicating that these epidemic isolates came from the trans-province introductions. Our survey suggests that quarantine is necessary for sheep imported from inland, and effective immunization should be implemented in sheep susceptible to M. ovipneumoniae in Xinjiang, China.

Prevalence of hydatid cysts in livestock animals in Xinjiang, China.

Hydatid worms, hosted by humans and animals, impose serious human health risk and cause significant livestock production loss. To better understand the disease infection status in Xinjiang, China, we investigated the disease epidemics in 4 livestock animals, i.e., cattle, sheep (both sheep and goat), camels, and horses, slaughtered at the abattoirs in Urumqi, Yining, Tacheng, and Altay areas. The results showed that the animals were infected at different rates, in the order of sheep (9.8%), cattle (8.4%), camels (6.8%), and horses (4.3%). The infection rates were found to be different between the abattoirs in various regions even for the same animals. For sheep, the rates increased significantly as the animals grew older. It was 1.9% before 1 year of age and increased to 8.2% in the age of 1-2 years, and further increased to 12.3% when the animals were 3-4 years old, and reached 17.2% when they were 5-6 year old. Sheep older than 6 years had an infection rate of 19.5%. This study demonstrates that the 4 livestock animals in the pastoral areas in Xinjiang were infected by the parasites to various extend. This study is the first systematic investigation of the hydatid worms in various livestock animals in Xinjiang, China, which provides epidemiological information about the infection of hydatid worms in livestock, and is valuable in developing strategies for prevention and control of the hydatid disease.

A serological survey of Akabane virus infection in cattle and sheep in northwest China.

PURPOSE: Akabane disease characterized mainly by fetal damage is a ruminant disease caused by insect-transmitted Akabane virus infection. METHODS: We investigated Akabane disease using serum neutralization tests in 446 blood samples collected from 187 cattle and 259 sheep of Xinjiang province, northwest China. RESULTS: (1) The overall prevalence rate of neutralizing antibody was 19.06 % (85/446), (2) the prevalence rates of Akabane disease in cattle and sheep were 20.32 % (38/187) and 18.15 % (47/259), respectively, (3) the disease prevalence rates were not significantly different between cattle and sheep, but significantly different among samples collected from different sampling months, (4) the disease was most prevalent in July when mosquitoes and culicoides were most active, and (5) the disease prevalence rates were significantly different between individuals with abortion experience and without abortion experience (P < 0.05), suggesting that Akabane virus infection may significantly increase abortion risk in cattle and sheep. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report confirming that Akabane virus infection is common in cattle and sheep of Xinjiang province, northwest China and providing useful epidemiological information for cattle and sheep abortion prevention and control.