ISOLATION OF ACRIFLAVINE RESISTANT ERYSIPELOTHRIX-RHUSIOPATHIAE FROM SLAUGHTER PIGS IN JAPAN

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of swine erysipela s. Although an attenuated vaccine is used in Japan, recent increases i n disease occurrence have cast doubts on its efficacy. We investigated the similarity between the vaccine strain and E. rhusiopathiae field isolates by the analysis of acriflavine resistance (the vaccine strain marker), serotype, DNA fingerprinting and pathogenicity to mice. Alth ough 7 acriflavine resistant E, rhusiopathiae isolates were separated from arthritic lesions of slaughter pigs, we were unable to prove that they were identical to the vaccine strain.