Capsular polysaccharide serotypes of coagulase-positive staphylococci associated with tenosynovitis, osteomyelitis, and other invasive infections in chickens and turkeys: evidence for new capsular types

• Published in: Avian diseases 1994-10, Vol.38 (4), p.762-771
• Main Authors: Daum, R.S. (University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.), Fattom, A, Freese, S, Karakawa, W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AMINOAZUCARES; AMINOSUCRE; Animals; Antibodies; Antiserum; Bacterial Typing Techniques - veterinary; BACTERIOSE; BACTERIOSIS; Chemical suspensions; Chickens; Chickens - microbiology; DINDON; ENCAPSULACION; ENCAPSULATION; ENCUESTAS; ENQUETE; IMMUNOLOGIE; Infections; INMUNOLOGIA; PAVO; Phagocytosis; PODER PATOGENO; POLISACARIDOS; POLLO; POLYHOLOSIDE; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - chemistry; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - isolation & purification; POULET; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; POUVOIR PATHOGENE; SEROTIPOS; SEROTYPE; Sodium; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary; STAPHYLOCOCCUS; Staphylococcus - classification; STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS; TECHNIQUE ANALYTIQUE; TECHNIQUE IMMUNOLOGIQUE; TECNICAS ANALITICAS; TECNICAS INMUNOLOGICAS; Turkeys; Turkeys - microbiology
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.2307/1592112

To study the role of capsular polysaccharides in staphylococcal infections in chickens and turkeys, we surveyed 101 coagulase-positive isolates obtained from investigators in geographically diverse locales in the United States and Canada. Fifty-six isolates were obtained from chickens; 51 (91%) were type 5, and 5 (9%) were type 8. Forty isolates were obtained from turkeys; 13 (33%) were type 5, 15 (38%) were type 8, and 12 (29%) were untypable. Five type 5 isolates were obtained from poultry of uncertain species. Two untypable turkey isolates were studied further. Rabbit serum obtained after immunization with formalin killed staphylococci was type-specific as assessed by a tube agglutination test and promoted opsonophagocytosis of the isolate that had been used for immunization. Chromatography of carboxy-reduced capsular polysaccharide from one of the isolates suggested that mannoseaminouronic acid was present in the unreduced polysaccharide. The spectrum obtained by 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance suggested the presence of N-acetyl sugars such as mannoseaminouronic acid and 6-deoxy sugars such as N-acetyl fucosamine. The structure of the polysaccharide differed from that of the type 5 and type 8 capsular polysaccharides. Thus, poultry isolates can be classified into at least four serotypes on the basis of their capsular polysaccharides. This observation provides a new focus for investigation into the epidemiology and virulence determinants of this important pathogen in chickens and turkeys