Detection of a common genotype among strains of Taylorella equigenitalis isolated from thoroughbred horses in Japan between 1994 and 1996

We examined whether or not the genotype J could be detected among 21 new st rains of T. equigenitalis isolated between 1994 and 1996 in Japan since our previous report (MIYAZAWA Et al. 1995). The respective pulsed-field gel el ectrophoretic profiles of the 21 Japanese strains, as well as those of an o ld EQ59 used as a reference strain after separate digestion with the two re striction enzymes, ApaI and NotI, were essentially identical but differed f rom those of T. equigenitalis NCTC11184(T) and KENTUCKY 188, respectively. Hence, the 21 strains and EQ59 appeared to have a common genotype J. Conseq uently, no strains of T. equigenitalis with any genotype other than genotyp e J may have reached Japan from 1980 to 1996 and strains with the genotype J have survived in Japan since the first invasion of contagious equine metr itis into Japan.