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  Discussion on Pigeon Fever a growing problem
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DrO

Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2005 - 11:25 am:

As can be seen from the number of reports we get on pigeon fever this is a persistant and growing problem particularly in the Western and Midwestern United States. In 2002-03 there appears to be an epidemic in Kentucky, Colorado, and Utah. In an effort to identify the cause tests were run on bacterial samples obtained from these states to see if it was one strain or multiple strains. The results came back that multiple strains were involved making a single point of origin impossible. Though increased reporting may have been responsible for the increased incidence, environmental factors that promote infection cannot be ruled out.

Also of interests were that one strain was involved with the infection of both horses and cows, suggesting one possible source for horses is cows. Further work will have to be done to see if this is actually the case or if further testing might differentiate the cattle and horse strain.

Am J Vet Res. 2004 Dec;65(12):1734-7.
Molecular epidemiologic features of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolated from horses.

Foley JE, Spier SJ, Mihalyi J, Drazenovich N, Leutenegger CM.
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize isolates of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from horses, cattle, and sheep in Colorado, Kentucky, Utah, and California in samples collected during perceived epidemics of infection (increased numbers of cases identified) in 2002 and 2003, and determine how closely isolates were related and their possible source. SAMPLE POPULATION: 54 isolates of C pseudotuberculosis from 49 horses, 4 cattle, and 1 sheep. PROCEDURES: Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, PCR assay for the gene encoding the phospholipase D (PLD) toxin, biochemical analyses, and tests for susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial drugs were performed. RESULTS: All isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite, most yielded positive results for the PLD toxin gene, and all were susceptible to antimicrobial drugs. Ten genetic types were detected by use of RAPD PCR assay; types III to X were isolated from horses, cattle, or both in 1 or more states. Types III and IX were isolated from both horses and cattle. Types VII and VIII were isolated in only 1 state, but the number of isolates in these groups was small. In contrast, all other types were isolated in 2 or more states. All isolates from Utah were type III, but the other 3 states had isolates from more than 1 type. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These data are consistent with a clonally expanding epidemic of infection in Utah and an increase in number of infections caused by multiple strains of C pseudotuberculosis not derived from a single source in the other states. The increase in number of infections could be the result of reporting bias, environmental factors facilitating infection, or host factors such as greater herd susceptibility.
DrO
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