Detection of Antibodies to Pasteurella multocida by capture enzyme immunoassay using a monoclonal antibody against P37 antigen

Diagnostic and typing options for investigating diseases associated with Pasteurella multocida

Pasteurella multocida is responsible for major animal diseases of economic significance in both developed and developing countries whereas human infections related to this bacterium are infrequent. Significantly, development of a carrier status or latent infections plays a critical role in the epidemiology of these diseases. Aiming at increased knowledge of these infections, we examine potential diagnostic and selected typing systems for investigating diseases caused by P. multocida. Detection of P. multocida from clinical specimen by; (i) isolation and identification, (ii) polymerase chain reaction (PCR), iii) specific hybridisation probes, (iv) serological tests and (v) other alternative methods is critically evaluated. These detection systems provide a wide spectrum of options for rapid diagnosis and for detecting and understanding of latent infections in herd/flock health control programmes, though PCR methods for detecting P. multocida in clinical specimen appear increasingly preferred. For establishing the clonality of outbreak strains, we select to discuss macromolecular profiling, serotyping, biotyping, restriction enzyme analysis, ribotyping and multiplex PCR typing. Although P. multocida infections can be rapidly diagnosed with molecular and serological tests, isolation and accurate species identification are central to epidemiological tracing of outbreak strains. Our review brings together comprehensive and essential information that may be adapted for confirming diagnosis and determining the molecular epidemiology of diseases associated with P. multocida.

Serological response to Pasteurella multocida NanH sialidase in persistently colonized rabbits

Pasteurella multocida is a mucosal pathogen that colonizes the upper respiratory system of rabbits. Respiratory infections can result, but the bacteria can also invade the circulatory system, producing abscesses or septicemia. P. multocida produces extracellular sialidase activity, which is believed to augment colonization of the respiratory tract and the production of lesions in an active infection. Previously, it was demonstrated that some isolates of P. multocida contain two unique sialidase genes, nanH and nanB, that encode enzymes with different substrate specificities (S. Mizan, A. D. Henk, A. Stallings, M. Meier, J. J. Maurer, and M. D. Lee, J. Bacteriol. 182:6874-6883, 2000). We developed a recombinant antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the NanH sialidase of P. multocida and demonstrated that rabbits that were experimentally colonized with P. multocida produce detectable anti-NanH immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG in serum, although they demonstrated no clinical signs of pasteurellosis. In addition, clinically ill pet rabbits infected with P. multocida possessed IgM and/or IgG antibody against NanH. The NanH ELISA may be useful for the diagnosis of P. multocida infections in sick rabbits as well as for screening for carriers in research rabbit colonies.