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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2001, p. 990-994, Vol. 39, No. 3
Sanidad Animal, Instituto Vasco de
Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario (NEIKER), 48160 Derio,
Bizkaia, Spain1; Laboratorium voor
Pharmaceutische Microbiologie, Universiteit Gent, B-9000 Ghent,
Belgium2; and Department of Medical
Microbiology University Medical School, Edinburgh EH8 9AG,
Scotland3
Received 14 August 2000/Returned for modification 7 November
2000/Accepted 22 December 2000
An outbreak of subclinical mastitis in a flock of 620 milking sheep
was investigated. Microbiological and epidemiological analyses
identified the causative agent as belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (formerly Pseudomonas cepacia). Every
ewe in the milking flock was individually tested for subclinical
mastitis on two separate occasions, 6 weeks apart, by the California
(rapid) mastitis test (CMT). The proportion of CMT-positive ewes was 69 of 393 (17.6%) on the first sampling and 27 of 490 (5.5%) on the second sampling. Pure B. cepacia cultures identified with
the API 20 NE system were grown from 64 of 96 (66.7%) CMT-positive ewes and from 1 of 33 (3.0%) CMT-negative ewes. Statistical analysis confirmed the significant association between a positive CMT result and
a positive culture result for B. cepacia complex.
Additional polyphasic taxonomic analyses of eight isolates showed that
seven belonged to B. cepacia genomovar III; the remaining
isolate was identified as Burkholderia vietnamiensis
(formerly B. cepacia genomovar V). Bacteriological
investigation of samples from milking equipment and other environmental
sites failed to identify "B. cepacia" in any of the
samples taken. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an
outbreak of natural infection in animals caused by B. cepacia complex and the first description of B. cepacia complex infection in sheep.
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.3.990-994.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Outbreak of Subclinical Mastitis in a Flock of Dairy Sheep
Associated with Burkholderia cepacia Complex
Infection
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Sanidad Animal,
Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario (NEIKER),
48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain. Phone: 34 944 522 295. Fax: 34 944 522 335. E-mail: eberriatua{at}neiker.net.
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