DEVELOPMENT OF A PCR TEST BASED ON A GENE REGION ASSOCIATED WITH THE PATHOGENICITY OF PASTEURELLA-MULTOCIDA SEROTYPE B-2, THE CAUSAL AGENT OF HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA IN ASIA

We have developed a PCR assay to detect Pasteurella multocida serotype B:2, the causal agent of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) in Asia. Nucle otide sequence determination of a 16S rRNA-23S rRNA PCR product unique to B:2 strains was shown to share amino acid sequence homology with a bacteriophage Mu protein. Primers designed from this sequence when te sted against a panel of isolates recovered from a wide geographical ar ea and representing a large range of bacterial genera and species, wer e found to specifically amplify DNA from P. multocida, serotype B:2. S outhern hybridisation confirmed the presence of this sequence in only the B:2 serotype of P. multocida, suggesting an association between ba cterial virulence and the presence of bacteriophage genes in the bacte rial genome. The results of this study demonstrate the potential appli cation of PCR to the diagnosis of HS in cattle and buffalo in Asia. Ap plication of PCR to support diagnosis of HS will greatly improve accur acy, laboratory response time, and will facilitate rational deployment of resources for controlling this disease. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.