DIFFERENTIATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF 3 TYPES OF EXFOLIATIVE TOXIN PRODUCED BY STAPHYLOCOCCUS-HYICUS FROM PIGS WITH EXUDATIVE EPIDERMITIS

Exfoliative toxins of approximately 30 kDa produced by Staphylococcus hyicus strains NCTC 10350, 1289D-88 and 842A-88 were purified and spec ific polyclonal antisera were raised against each of the toxins. It wa s shown by immunoblot analysis and ELISA that three exfoliative toxins from S. hyicus were antigenically distinct. The three toxins were des ignated ExhA, ExhB and ExhC. From 60 diseased pigs, each representing an outbreak of exudative epidermitis, a total of 584 isolates of S. hl icus were phage typed and tested for production of exfoliative toxin. ExhA-, ExhB- and ExhC-producing S. hyicus isolates were found in 12 ( 20%), 20 (33%) and 11 (18%); respectively, of the 60 pig herds investi gated. Production of the different types of exfoliative toxin was pred ominantly associated with certain phage groups. However. toxin product ion was found in all of the six phage groups defined by the phage typi ng system. Some changes in the distribution of isolates between phage groups were observed when the results of this study were compared to p revious investigations. In this study two new antigenically distinct e xfoliative toxins were isolated and tools for in vitro detection of to xin producing S. hyicus isolates and for further studies on the exfoli ative toxins from S. hyicus have been provided. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V .