Pasteurella multocida PCR test for rodents

Pasteurella bacteria are small, nonmotile, gram-negative, bipolar-staining bacilli that normally inhabit the nasal, gingival and tonsillar regions of most domestic cats, many dogs and many other animal species.

Pasteurella secretes an endotoxin that changes the properties of the pulmonary surfactant. This alters pulmonary mechanics and gas exchange, often resulting in a pneumonia which is slow to resolve. Abscesses or pleuritis may also result from Pasteurella infection.

Pasteurella multocida is the most common respiratory pathogen in the domestic rabbit. Infection with the bacteria can result in rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, abscesses, genital tract infections, and septicemia. The bacteria can be transmitted via aerosol or contact with an infected animal, either directly or through fomites. P. multocida initially colonizes the pharynx, then moves to the nasal cavity and surrounding tissue, with the potential to spread to the rest of the body. Colonization of the nasal cavity may take two weeks to occur, at which time clinical signs may or may not appear. Infected rabbits may become carriers without exhibiting clinical signs.

Traditionally, diagnosis of Pasteurella was based on clinical findings, culture and/ or serological testing. Although culture identification methods are definitive, they are time consuming and costly. False-negative culture results are frequently observed due to the fact that P. multocida dies easily during transport to the laboratory or is overgrown by other bacteria (nasal flora and contaminants) in the culture.

Serology can be used for cases when infection is suspected in organs for which cultures are not attainable, or when culturing has yielded no results. However, a seropositive titer to P. multocida merely indicates past exposure to the organism. Because many rabbits and other animals have been exposed to this organism, a diagnosis of pasteurellosis cannot be made based on serologic results alone. Molecular detection by PCR, however, offers a highly sensitive, accurate and timely method for detecting Pasteurella and confirming current infection (Miflin and Blackall, 2001).

Utilities:

Confirm the disease causing agent
Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of Pasteurella
Ensure that rabbit facilities are free of Pasteurella
Early prevention of spread of Pasteurella among a facility
Minimize personnel exposure to Pasteurella
Safety monitoring of biological products that derive from rabbits and other animals

References:
Miflin, J. K. and Blackall, P. J. (2001) Development of a 23 S rRNA-based PCR assay for the identification of Pasteurella multocida. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 33: 216–221.

Specimen requirements: Nasal swab or 0.1 ml whole blood in EDTA, shipped overnight at room temperature.

For specimen types other than those listed here, please call to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Ultrasensitive qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction

Normal range: Nondetected