First isolation of Histophilus somni from goats

Transferrin Binding Protein B and Transferrin Binding Protein A2 Expand the Transferrin Recognition Range of Histophilus somni

The bacterial bipartite transferrin receptor is an iron acquisition system that several important human and animal pathogens require for survival. It consists of the TonB-dependent transporter transferrin binding protein A (TbpA) and the surface lipoprotein transferrin binding protein B (TbpB). Curiously, the Tbps are only found in host-specific pathogens and are themselves host specific, meaning that they will bind to the transferrin of their host species but not to the transferrins of other animal species. While this phenomenon has long been established, neither the steps in the evolutionary process that led to this exquisite adaptation for the host nor the steps that could alter it are known. We sought to gain insight into these processes by studying Tbp specificity in Histophilus somni, an economically important pathogen of cattle. A past study showed that whole cells of H. somni specifically bind bovine transferrin but not transferrin from sheep and goats, two bovids whose transferrins share 93% amino acid sequence identity with bovine transferrin. To our surprise, we found that H. somni can use sheep and goat transferrins as iron sources for growth and that HsTbpB, but not HsTbpA, has detectable affinity for sheep and goat transferrins. Furthermore, a third transferrin binding protein found in H. somni, HsTbpA2, also showed affinity for sheep and goat transferrins. Our results suggest that H. somni TbpB and TbpA2 may contribute to broadening the host transferrin recognition range of H. somni IMPORTANCE Host-restricted pathogens infect a single host species or a narrow range of host species. Histophilus somni, a pathogen that incurs severe economic losses for the cattle industry, infects cattle, sheep, and goats but not other mammals. The transferrin binding proteins, TbpA and TbpB, are thought to be a key iron acquisition system in H. somni; however, despite their importance, H. somni TbpA and TbpB were previously shown to be cattle transferrin specific. In our study, we find that H. somni TbpB and another little-studied Tbp, TbpA2, bind sheep and goat transferrins, as well as bovine transferrin. Our results suggest that TbpB and TbpA2 may allow for host range expansion and provide a mechanism for how host specificity in Tbp-encoding pathogens can be altered.

Histophilus somni-associated syndromes in sheep from Southern Brazil

Histophilus somni is a Gram-negative bacterium that is associated with a disease complex (termed histophilosis) that can produce several clinical syndromes predominantly in cattle, but also in sheep. Histophilosis is well described in North America, Canada, and in some European countries. In Brazil, histophilosis has been described in cattle with respiratory, reproductive, and systemic disease, with only one case described in sheep. This report describes the occurrence of Histophilus somni-associated disease in sheep from Southern Brazil. Eight sheep with different clinical manifestations from five farms were investigated by a combination of pathological and molecular diagnostic methods to identify additional cases of histophilosis in sheep from Brazil. The principal pathological lesions were thrombotic meningoencephalitis, fibrinous bronchopneumonia, pulmonary abscesses, and necrotizing myocarditis. The main clinical syndromes associated with H. somni were thrombotic meningoencephalitis (n = 4), septicemia (n = 4), bronchopneumonia (n = 4), and myocarditis (n = 3). H. somni DNA was amplified from multiple tissues of all sheep with clinical syndromes of histophilosis; sequencing confirmed the PCR results. Further, PCR assays to detect Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica were negative. These findings confirmed the participation of H. somni in the clinical syndromes investigated during this study, and adds to the previous report of histophilosis in sheep from Brazil.

Histophilosis as a Natural Disease

Histophilus somni is responsible for sporadic disease worldwide in cattle and, to a lesser extent, in small ruminants, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and North American bison (Bison bison). The importance of H. somni diseases can be attributed to improved clinical and laboratory recognition, combined with the growth in intensive management practices for cattle. Although outbreaks of bovine histophilosis can occur year-round, in northern and southern hemispheres, it is most frequent in late fall and early winter. Weather, stress, dietary changes, and comingling of cattle are likely to be major triggers for outbreaks. The most frequent clinical expressions of histophilosis include undifferentiated fever, fibrinosuppurative pneumonia, encephalitis-leptomeningitis, necrotizing myocarditis, and diffuse pleuritis. Neurological disease occurs either as thrombotic meningoencephalitis (TME) or as suppurative meningitis with ventriculitis. Acute myocarditis is characteristically necrotizing and generally involves one or both papillary muscles in the left ventricular myocardium. Biofilm-like aggregates of bacteria occur in capillaries and veins in myocardium, in the central nervous system, and on endocardial surfaces. H. somni is a component of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex. In our experience, it is most commonly diagnosed in subacute-to-chronic polymicrobial pulmonary infections in combination with Mannheimia haemolytica, Trueperella pyogenes, Pasteurella multocida, or Mycoplasma bovis. Other, less common forms of H. somni disease present as polyarthritis/tenosynovitis, abortion with placentitis and fetal septicemia, epididymitis-orchitis, and ocular infections. It is likely that H. somni is under-recognized clinically and diagnostically. Most state and provincial laboratories in North America rely on bacterial isolation to confirm infection. The use of more sensitive detection methods on field cases of histophilosis will help resolve the pathogenesis of H. somni in natural outbreaks, and whether the disease is as common elsewhere as it is in Canada.

Comparison of Biolog GEN III MicroStation semi-automated bacterial identification system with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing for the identification of bacteria of veterinary interest

Recent advances in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic methods have improved the ability of systems to resolve bacterial identities at the species level. Key to the effective use of these systems is the ability to draw upon databases which can be augmented with new data gleaned from atypical or novel isolates. In this study we compared the performance of the Biolog GEN III identification system (hereafter, GEN III) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing in the identification of isolates of veterinary interest. The use of strains that had proven more difficult to identify by routine methods was designed to test the systems' abilities at the extremes of their performance range. Over an 18month period, 100 strains were analysed by all three methods. To highlight the importance of identification to species level, a weighted scoring system was devised to differentiate the capacity to identify at genus and species levels. The overall relative weighted scores were 0.869:0.781:0.769, achieved by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, GEN III and MALDI-TOF MS respectively, when compared to the 'gold standard'. Performance to the genus level was significantly better using 16S rRNA gene sequencing; however, performance to the species level was similar for all three systems.

Histophilus somni-induced infections in cattle from southern Brazil

The sudden death of three calves, one diarrheic calf, and one aborted fetus from four farms in southern Brazil was investigated. Two Histophilus somni-associated syndromes were identified: systemic histophilosis (n = 4) and abortion (n = 1). The principal pathological findings included vasculitis, meningoencephalitis with thrombosis, necrotizing myocarditis, renal infarctions, hepatic abscesses, and bronchopneumonia. PCR assays were used to amplify specific amplicons of the ovine herpesvirus 2, bovine herpesvirus 1 and −5, Listeria monocytogenes, H. somni, and pestivirus; bovine group A rotavirus (BoRV-A) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) were investigated in calves with diarrhea. H. somni DNA was amplified in tissues from all calves and the brain of the aborted fetus with pathological alterations consistent with histophilosis. All other PCR assays were negative; BoRV-A and BCoV were not identified. These findings confirm the participation of H. somni in the pathological alterations observed in this study and represent the first description of histophilosis in cattle from Brazil.

Isolation of Histophilus somni from the nasal exudates of a clinically healthy adult goat

METHODS

The nasal exudate from 42 goats of the Mixteca Region in the state of Puebla, Mexico, was evaluated. A strain was isolated after 4 days of incubation. This strain was identified according to its phenotypic characteristics and by means of a species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as well as by sequencing of the amplified product.

RESULTS

The species-specific PCR amplified a 407-bp fragment of 16S RNAr subunit, and the product sequencing revealed 100% homology with Histophilus somni 129PT. The nucleotide sequence was deposited in the GenBank under accession number HM032735.

CONCLUSION

This is the first worldwide isolation of H. somni from nasal exudates of a clinically healthy goat.

Aerosol infection of calves with Histophilus somni

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an aerosol infection method with Histophilus somni that closely resembles the natural way of infection of calves. Another aim was to compare the virulence of two H. somni strains by collecting clinical and postmortem data of experimentally infected and control animals. Seventeen conventionally reared 3-month-old calves were divided into three groups. Two groups of six animals each were exposed to suspensions containing H. somni on three consecutive days using a vaporiser mask. The third group of five animals was used as control. The data of individual clinical examination were recorded daily. All animals were exterminated, and gross pathology of all lungs was evaluated on the 15th day after the first infection. Both H. somni strains caused an increase of rectal temperature, respiratory signs, decrease of weight gain, and severe catarrhal bronchopneumonia in both infected groups. Although some chronic lesions were detected in the lungs of the control animals as well, the histopathological findings in the infected and control groups were different. H. somni was recultured from all lungs in the challenged groups but it could not be reisolated or detected by PCR examination in the control group. This is the first paper on aerosol challenge of calves with H. somni using repeated infection and verified by detailed pathological, bacteriological and histopathological examination. The infection method proved to be successful. There was no difference in the virulence of the two H. somni strains used in the trial.