One hundred and two Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) isolates were collected from dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis in Eastern China during 2011. Clonal groups were established by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), respectively. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS), pilus and alpha-like-protein (Alp) family genes were also charact...

Molecular identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19F is routinely performed by PCR targeting the wzy gene of the capsular biosynthetic locus. However, 19F isolates with genetic similarity to 19A have been reported in the United States and Brazil. We screened 78 pneumococcal carriage isolates and found six 19F wzy variants that originated from children in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. ...

The human nasopharynx has a commensal bacterial flora which may become pathogenic (invasive), causing pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis and otitis media. A major virulence factor in this pathogenesis is the presence of a polysaccharide bacterial capsule, the production of which is controlled by a number of interacting variables (including temperature and capsule gene presence/expression/phase varia...

Streptococcus pneumoniae can be classified in more than 90 capsular types, as traditionally determined by serological methods and more recently by PCR-based techniques. Such methods, however, can be expensive, laborious or unable to accurately discriminate among certain serotypes. Therefore, determination of capsular types, although extremely important for epidemiological purposes and for estim...

The introduction of nationwide pneumococcal vaccination may lead to serotype replacement and the emergence of new variants that have expanded their genetic repertoire through recombination. To monitor alterations in the pneumococcal population structure, we have developed and utilized Capsular Sequence Typing (CST) in addition to Multiple-Locus Variable number tandem repeat Analysis (MLVA).To a...

A total of 111 Pasteurella multocida isolates recovered from healthy and diseased rabbits were typed for capsular and somatic antigens by the typing systems of Carter and Heddleston, respectively. The major serotypes of the 48 P. multocida isolates recovered from nasal cavities of healthy rabbits were serotypes 12:A (33%), nontypable:A (50%), and nontypable:D (10%). Similarly, the major serotyp...

Two simultaneous Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreaks resistant to multiple antibiotics are reported. The closely related strains were distinguished by comparing the zone diameters obtained by disk diffusion susceptibility testing but not by interpretations of susceptible, resistant, or intermediate. Similar conclusions were made when minimal inhibitory concentrations were considered. The separation...