Analysis of haemorrhagic septicaemia-causing isolates of Pasteurella multocida by ribotyping and field alternation gel electrophoresis (FAGE)

Ribotyping and field alternation gel electrophoresis (PAGE) were used to examine 19 Pasteurella multocida isolates, and to assess the ability of these techniques to differentiate P. multocida strains that cause haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), Reproducible patterns were obtained from both methods, with PAGE demonstrating greater discriminatory power than ribotyping. PAGE analysis was particularly useful in distinguishing North American cultures originating from the 1922 Yellowstone National Park Buffalo 'B' strain, demonstrating the ability to detect genetic alterations induced by repeated subculture. A remarkable homogeneity was observed among Asian HS strains following ribotyping and PAGE analysis, with a clear distinction observed between virulent and avirulent HS isolates. This study has illustrated the value of genomic fingerprinting methods in distinguishing strains of similar serotype, and the capability of these methods to produce detailed characterisation of P. multocida isolates. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.