AEROMONAS Transmission

• These are groups of microorganisms • Ingestion of organism

that live in aquatic habitats Diseases associated with Aeromonas
species
• Infections caused are common
Red syndromes (fishes and amphibians)
among fish and amphibians
Etiologic agent: A. hydrophila
Species associated with animal
➢ Lethargy, emaciation, ulceration of the
infections
skin
➢A. hydrophila

➢A. salmincola

➢A. shigelloides
Morphology, staining features and
cellular composition
• Gram-negative
• Short, plump aerobic rods
Furunculosis

➢ Systemic disease with ulceration (A.

salmincola)
• Hemorrhages on the fin, tail muscles, gills
and intestinal organs
• Crateriform abscesses that discharge
contents to the skin (furuncle)

Growth characteristics
• Grow in trypticase soy agar at 22 to 25°C
• Heavy turbidity in broth
Reservoir of Infection
• Stools, bile and throat of avian, cattle,
swine and dogs
• Feces and dysenteric stool of swine and
dogs
Other signs of Aeromonas infection
Fin rot and ulceration of the skin
Virulence Factors
• Adhesins
• Enterotoxins
Laboratory diagnosis
Samples: Fish and eggs
Preferred culture media: Rimler-Shotts
Medium
Agent Identification
➢ Bacterial isolation and cultivation
(Trypticase soy agar)
➢ DNA primers for PCR
Treatment
Oxytetracycline (60-75 mg/kg for 21 days)
Control and Prevention
• Obtain fish and eggs from disease-free
sources
• Stress reduction (ensuring well-aerated
clean water and good nutrition)
FRANCISELLA
• Human pathogens that occasionally infect
domestic animals
Species associated with animal
infections
➢F. tularensis
➢F. philomigaria
➢F. novicida
Morphology, staining features and cellular
composition
• Gram-negative coccobacilli
• Fresh cultures possess capsules with
high lipid and amino acid content
• Older cultures show pleomorphism
Growth characteristics
• Fastidious aerobes that prefer to grow
in glucose-cysteine-blood agar
• Survives cold temperature in water, soila
and animal lesions
Reservoir of Infection
• Rabbits
• Rodents
Transmission
• Ingestion of infected prey, feed
and water
• Bites of infected blood-sucking
Insects
Diseases associated with Francisella
species
Tularemia
Etiologic agent: F. tularensis
• Systemic infection marked by
ulcerative inflammatory and
necrotic lesions
Treatment
• Streptomycin
• Tetracycline
• Aminoglycosides
Control and prevention
• Limiting tick exposure and access to
contaminated feed and water
HEMOPHILUS
➢Organisms require one or both of two
growth factors (porphyrins or nicotinamide
as X factor) and adenine dinucleotide
(NAD, NADP) as V factor

➢Organisms exhibit satellite formation

Species associated with animal
infections

➢H. parasuis

➢H. paragallinarum

Virulence Factors ➢H. somnus

• Capsular lipids ➢H. agni

Laboratory diagnosis Morphology, staining features and

cellular composition
Samples: tissue samples
• Gram-negative tiny rods that form longer
Preferred culture media: Glucose cystein
blood agar filaments

Agent identification • Non-sporeforming, non-motile aerobic but

➢Bacterial cultivation some are facultative anaerobes

➢Guinea pig inoculation • Some forms are pleomorphic, capsulated

and piliated
➢PCR using primers for pathogenic
Francisella • Capsules are composed of
polysaccharides
Growth characteristics ➢Bronchopneumonia secondary to
Organisms do not grow in plain or bacterial and viral infections
glycerolcontaining agar Coryza in chickens
• Growth is enhanced by hemin and NAD Etiologic agent: H. paragallinarum
and chocolate agar
➢Catarrhal inflammation of the upper
• Turbid in broth respiratory tract
• Grows luxuriantly when a feeder
bacterium is cross-streaked (satellism) with
the organism
Reservoir of Infection

➢Respiratory tract (sick/carrier

animals) Thrombotic meningo-encephalitis of
cattle
➢Nasopharynx (pigs)
Etiologic agent: H. somnus
➢Genital tracts (cattle and sheep)
➢marked by septicemia,
Transmission
meningoencephalitis and motor and
• Airborne behavioral abnormalities
• Direct contact Respiratory, mammary, epididymitis and
septicemias in sheep
Diseases associated with Hemophilus
Etiologic agent: H. somnus, H. agni
species
Virulence Factors
Bronchopneumonia in animals
• Capsular polysaccharides (antiphagocytic
• secondary to viral infections {swine
influenza} and other bacterial infections functions)
caused by Pasteurella and Mycoplasma
• Heat-labile cytotoxins
spp.
• Outer membrane proteins (bind transferrin
• marked by sero-fibrinous to fibrino-
iron complexes)
purulent secretions in the lungs, body
cavities and joints • Lipopolysaccharides (initiate release of
Glasser’s Disease (Swine influenza of cytokines IL1 and TNF from macrophages)
swine
• Endotoxin
Etiologic agent: H. parasuis
• Adherence to epithelium, endothelium and
➢Common among young weaned pigs
immunoglobulins
raised in stressful conditions
• Resistance to killing by complement
proteins and phagocyte killing
Laboratory diagnosis
Samples (Nasal secretions, infected
tissues or fluids)
Preferred culture media: Chocolate agar
Agent identification
➢Bacterial isolation and cultivation (media
that contains substances that provide the X
and V factors)
➢Porphyrin test (determines X factor)
➢Serology (Agglutination,
Hemagglutinationinhibition tests)
Treatment
• Penicillin
• Tetracycline
• Ceftiofur
• Tilmicosin
Control and Prevention
• Immunization of animals at risk
• Elimination of carriers
• Depopulation of infected flocks
Prevention and Control
➢ Immunization of animals at risk
➢ Elimination of carriers
➢ Depopulation of infected flocks
ACTINOBACILLUS
➢ Microorganisms are agents of local and
septicemic infections of animals
➢ Commensals of mucus membranes
➢ Opportunistic pathogens when integrity
of the host’s defenses is compromised
Species associated with animal
infections
• A. lignieresii
• A. equuli
• A. suis
• A. capsulatus
• A. salpingitis
• A. seminis
• A. pleuropneumonia
Morphology, staining features and
cellular composition
➢ Gram-negative coccobacilli
➢ Capsulated (A. pleuropneumonia) and
non-capsulated forms are present
➢ Some are piliated
➢ Contain LPS with adhesive properties to
tracheal epithelia
➢ Some produce outer membrane protein
that binds transferrin-iron complexes
➢ Produce periplasmic iron-binding protein
(AfuA/actinoferric uptake)
➢ Form aggregates or clumps in small
cheese-like grayish white sulfur granules
 result to formation of abscesses and tumors
in the region of the lower jaw and neck
• Pyogranulomatous lesions in soft tissues
(neck)

Growth characteristics
• Require blood and serum
• Hemolytic forms exist
Porcine pleuropneumonia (Respiratory
• Carbohydrate fermenters (no gas septicemia in swine
production) Etiologic agent: A. pleuropneumonia
• Reduce nitrates to nitrites • Pleuropneumonia in 2 to 6 month old pigs
• Produce urease, ortho-nitro-phenyl-beta- • Swollen joints
Dgalacto-pyranosidase and nitrite
• Cough
Reservoir of Infection
• Sick and carrier animals
Transmission
• Endogenous infections
Diseases associated with Actinobacillus
species
 Arthritis of rabbits (A. capsulatus)
Pyo-granuloma of ruminants (Wooden
 Salpingitis and peritonitis of
tongue)
chickens (A. salpingitis)
Etiologic agent: A. lignieresii  Navel ill/umbilical infection of
newborn foals (A. equuli)
• Chronic granulomatous infections in
 Epididymitis in rams (A. seminis)
bovine tongue
Virulence Factors
• Colonies of A. lignieresii produce grayish
white sulfur granules • Adherence to ciliated and alveolar
epithelia
• Abrasion and wounds penetrate the
buccal mucosa • Capsule with antiphagocytic function
 • RTX-type hemolysins (ApxI, ApxII and • Mass medication to eradicate infection
ApxIII pleurotoxin) that kill macrophages
• Avoiding harsh dry feed
and neutrophils
• Navel disinfection
• Pili-mediated adherence to alveolar
epithelium
• Lipopolysaccharides (induce
inflammatory response and subsequent
release of proinflammatory cytokines ILI
and TNF)
• Outer membrane proteins (bind
transferriniron complexes)
Laboratory diagnosis
Samples (pus, tissue samples, tracheal
exudates, necrotic organs, abscesses from
infected regions)
Preferred Media: Blood agar under high
amount of CO2
Agent identification
• Bacterial isolation and identification
• Gram staining
• PCR using recommended primers for
Actinobacillus
Treatment
• Gentamycin
• Cephalosporins
• Ceftiofur
• Kanamycin
• Trimethoprim-sulfa combination
• Oral administration of iodides for wooden
tongue
Prevention and Control
• Elimination of infected animals