Isolation of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae asociated with endocarditis in pigs in Guadalajara, Jalisco

Abstract

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of swine erysipelas, a disease that causes significant economic losses in pig farms. In Mexico, the presence of this infection is unknown, mainly because the clinical form is accompanied by other pathogens. Furthermore, the isolation of the species is difficult due to the requirements of the bacteria. On a hog ranch in Guadalajara, cases of endocarditis, decreased production and observations of red spots on the skin of young animals and female broodstock were observed. Thus, the causative organism of these symptoms was sought. For the isolation of the bacterium were collected 8 samples of blood, 11 samples of heart, 6 samples of tonsils and 3 samples of synovial fluid of pigs of 7 mo of age and females’ broodstock. Blood samples were seeded in broth selective for Erysipelothrix. Organs were plated on blood agar and modified tryptone soy agar supplemented with horse serum. Five E. rhusiopathiae strains were isolated from the synovial fluid, hearts and tonsils and these were confirmed using API-Coryne system. These findings confirmed that E. rhusiopathiae caused endocarditis in swine in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and the necessity to determine its presence in pig farms in the country to know their epidemiological importance.