Infective endocarditis caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae involving three native valves.

Human infection with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is extremely rare and occupationally related. This paper presents for the first time a case of a 47 year-old male with endocarditis involving three valves simultaneously.

Safety of a live attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae vaccine for swine.

Infection with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae has a significant economic impact on pig production systems worldwide. Both inactivated and attenuated vaccines are available to prevent development of clinical signs of swine erysipelas. The ability of a live attenuated E. rhusiopathiae strain to become persistently established in pigs after intranasal exposure and its potential to cause clinical signs consistent with swine erysipelas after being administered directly into the nasopharynx of healthy pigs was evaluated. Five, E. rhusiopathiae-negative pigs were vaccinated by deep intranasal inoculation then followed for 14 days. Nasal swabs were collected daily for 5 days and clinical observations were made daily for 14 days post-vaccination. Nasal swabs were cultured for E. rhusiopathiae with the intent of back-passaging any recovered organisms into subsequent replicates. No organism was recovered from nasal swabs in the first vaccination replicate. A second replicate including 10 pigs was initiated and followed in an identical manner to that described above. Again, no E. rhusiopathiae was recovered from any pigs. No pigs in either replicate showed any signs of clinical swine erysipelas. The live attenuated E. rhusiopathiae strain evaluated in this study did not appear to become persistently established in pigs post-vaccination, did not cause any local or systemic signs consistent with swine erysipelas, and was therefore unlikely to revert to a virulent state when used in a field setting.

Invasive Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection in northeast Thailand.

Three cases of invasive Erysipelothrix rhusipathiae infection, which is considered rare, presented to a hospital in Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand during 2006. Patients presented with variable clinical manifestations including diffused cutaneous lesions, bacteremia and endocarditis. Erysipelothrix infection may be an emerging infection in immunocompromized individuals in Thailand.

Visceral botryomycosis in a case of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis.

Botryomycosis is a rare bacterial infection of the skin and, rarely, viscera that is characterized by the formation of characteristic hyaline grains. We encountered a patient with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis who developed visceral botryomycosis. He was a 54-year-old black man who presented in sepsis with a history of progressive weakness and severe weight loss. He died 10 hours after admission. At autopsy, endocarditis was identified, along with infarcts of the spleen and kidneys. Microscopically, visceral botryomycosis was seen. With these bacteria, an animal source is usually identified, although one was not found in this man. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is an organism that is becoming identified in a range of infections in humans, the manifestations and pathophysiology of which are still being discovered.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis: clinical features of an occupational disease.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is becoming more commonly recognized in humans and has the potential for significant morbidity and mortality. In this article, we describe one patient's clinical symptoms after occupational exposure to E rhusiopathiae and its sequela. We discuss the natural history of the organism, three major categories of human disease, and treatment options.

Effect of attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae vaccine in pigs infected with porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome virus.

Twenty 2nd specific pathogen-free pigs were divided into 4 groups: Group A were infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus at 6 weeks of age and treated with available swine erysipelas and swine fever combined vaccine (vaccinated) at 7 weeks of age; Group B were vaccinated at 7 weeks of age and infected with PRRS virus at 8 weeks of age; Group C were vaccinated at 7 weeks of age: Group D were neither vaccinated nor infected with PRRS virus. All pigs were challenged to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae C42 strain at 10 weeks of age. No clinical signs appeared after vaccination of group A and B pigs, thus confirming that the safety of the vaccine was not influenced by infection with PRRS virus. None of the pigs in Groups A and C developed erysipelas after challenge exposure to E. rhusiopathiae. In contrast, fever and/or urticaria appeared transiently in all pigs of Group B after challenge exposure. At the time of challenge exposure to E. rhusiopathiae, the PRRS virus titer was high in sera of Group B, but was low in those from Group A. However, vaccination of pigs with attenuated E. rhusiopathiae was effective in dual infection with PRRS virus and E. rhusiopathiae, because the clinical signs were milder and the E. rhusiopathiae strain was less recovered from these pigs compared to pigs of group D.

[Endocarditis from Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae]. / Endokarditis durch Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae only seldom causes cases of endocarditis. Contact with infectious animals leads to endocarditis of the left heart with high lethality. Vancomycin and aminoglycosides, which are often used in gram-positive endocarditis, show no effect.

Comparison of etiological and immunological characteristics of two attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains of serotypes 1a and 2.

Two acriflavine-fast attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains Koganei 65-0.15 of serotype 1a (strain Kg-1a) and 2 (strain Kg-2) were comparatively characterized. Biochemical characterization showed the similar reactions with slight variation between the strains. Strain Kg-2 was more resistant to acriflavine dye than strain Kg-1a. Pathogenicity of strain Kg-2 was higher than strain Kg-1a in mice of strains ddY. C3H/He and A/J. Significant differences of clinical signs between strains Kg-1a and Kg-2 were observed in occurrence of arthritis (P < 0.05) and systemic signs (P < 0.01) of only ddY mice. C3H/He mice was more resistant than ddY and A/J mice to the infection of strains Kg-1a and Kg-2. Three culture fractions, whole culture: WC, culture filtrate: CF and killed cells: KC, of strain Kg-2 were more protective than those of strain Kg-1a in ddY mice. CF of strain Kg-2 was most protective in all fractions. Heating at 56 degrees C and 100 degrees C or treatment with trypsin completely reduced the protective activity of WC of the two strains, indicating that major protective antigens of WC were protein. The present results demonstrated that immunogenicity and pathogenicity for mice were different between the two attenuated strains.

An experimental model of arteritis: periarteritis induced by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in young rats.

The acute phase of the arteritis of the common iliac artery induced in young rats by the inoculation of viable Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was examined. Arteritis of the common iliac artery was observed within 4 days after inoculation in every rat that was inoculated with the live bacteria. Within 2 days after the inoculation, infiltration by mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells was first detected in the periarterial tissue extending centripetally to the outer two-thirds of the media. Invasion by the bacteria always preceded cell infiltration. Immunofluorescence test by FITC-labeled peanut lectin demonstrated the desialated sites by the effect of neuraminidase produced by the bacteria in the arterial wall concomitantly with the invasion of the bacteria. Linear presentation of C3 along the external elastic lamina of that artery was also detected. The results showed that viable E. rhusiopathiae could induce arteritis of muscular arteries and that the neuraminidase produced by the bacteria might play a role in the progress of arterial inflammation. We consider that this model will contribute to clarifying the progression of the arteritis process, and to assessing the efficacy of antiinflammatory drugs to inhibit the arterial inflammation.

[Clinical, radiotelemetric and x-ray research on erythematous polyarthritis in lambs]. / Klinichni, radiotelemetrichni i rentgenologichni izsledvaniia pri chervenkoviia poliartrit u agneta.

Experimental investigations were carried out with 6 lambs each infected i/v with 2 cm3 of a 24-hour broth culture of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae rated at 10(8) microbial cells per cu. cm. The clinical state of the animals was followed up in the course of 60 days, the changes in the cardiovascular system and those in the movements of the rumen being recorded radiotelemetrically, while the changes taking place in the joints were studied roentgenographically. It was found that the causative agent of swine erysipelas was strongly pathogenic for the lambs following a hematogenic infection, causing polyarthritis with concurrent changes in the general state--rise of temperature and higher respiration and pulse rates. The electrocardiograms of the affected animals showed sinus tachycardia, participation of Q waves, and changes in the R and T waves, while the graphic records of the rumen showed a drop in the number of rumen contractions and decrease in the amplitude. Roentgenographically, there were periostitis and osteoarthritis of the carpal and tarsal joints.

[Alteration of cartilage by microbial agents and granulocytes]. / Zur Alteration des Knorpels durch mikrobielle Erreger und Granulozyten.

Severe polyarthritis was induced in 42 SPF piglets by subcutaneous and intraarticular infection in one joint of the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (Serotype B, strain T 28), which in its chronic stage morphologically resembles human c.P. The light and electron microscopic examination of the articular cartilage and synovial membrane reveals a parallel evolution of hyaline cartilage degeneration, and activation and proliferation of synovial lining cells. The initial cartilage alteration with demasking of collagen fibrils and focal degeneration of chondrocytes in the erysipelas model is caused by direct action of the microbial agent, fibrin and few granulocytes Erysipelothrix bacteria and neutrophilic granulocytes are able to invade the superficial and intermediate cartilage layers. This model is not considered a suppurative infectious arthritis. In chronic villous erysipelas polyarthritis, which develops without the presence of neutrophils in the cartilage, the invasively growing synovial pannus dominates, which deeply destroys the pre-damaged cartilage, resulting in macroscopic focal or wide-spread cartilage erosion. We consider the poorly vascularized cartilage and the particular fibrosis suitable sites for the extremely long (up to three years) persistence of this microbial agent. The persistence of the agent is considered necessary for the persisting immunological reactions and the perpetuation of erysipelas polyarthritis. With longer duration (1-3 years) of experimental erysipelas polyarthritis the number of bacteriologically positive arthritic joint decreases. Microscopically, the causative bacteria may only sporadically identified.

[Enzyme, enzyme-histochemical and immunohistological studies in chronic erysipelas polyarthritis of swine]. / Enzymatische, enzymhistochemische und immunhistologische Untersuchungen bei der chronischen Rotlaufpolyarthritis des Schweines.

The chronic Erysipelas-polyarthritis in pigs has been considered an animal model resembling human rheumatoid arthritis. Fifteen specifically pathogenfree (SPF) pigs 45 days old were experimentally infectec with strain T 28 of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae-bacteria. During the subsequent 32 weeks several enzymatic, immunohistological and microbiological parameters were monitored. Compared to 5 age and sex matched healthy controls the infected pigs showed increased activity of plasma acid phosphatase starting 4 weeks after the infection. Acid phosphatase activity was usually enhanced in synovial fluid of chronically ill animals. Histochemically increased activity of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-acetylglucosaminidase was found in lining cells and fibroblasts of the synovial membrane of chronically diseased joints. Immunohistochemically Erysipelas-antigen was demonstrated in the synovial membrane even of those inflamed joints from which no living bacteria had been isolated. The microbiological and immunohistochemical results correlated positively with the enzymehistochemical data. The release of lysosomal enzymes from cells of the synovial membrane in chronically diseased joints due to the influence of Erysipelas-bacteria and the possible implications of persistent bacteria on the perpetuation of chronic Erysipelas-polyarthritis are discussed.