This study aimed to detect methicillin resistant and slime producing Staphylococcus aureus in cases of bovine mastitis. A triplex PCR was optimized targetting 16S rRNA, nuc and mecA genes for detection of Staphylococcus species, S. aureus and methicillin resistance, respectively. Furthermore, for detection of slime producing strains, a PCR assay targetting icaA and icaD genes was performed. In this study, 59 strains were detected as S. aureus by both conventional tests and PCR, and 13 of them were found to be methicillin resistant and 4 (30.7%) were positive for mecA gene. Although 22 of 59 (37.2%) S. aureus isolates were slime-producing in Congo Red Agar, in PCR analysis only 15 were positive for both icaA and icaD genes. Sixteen and 38 out of 59 strains were positive for icaA and icaD gene, respectively. Only 2 of 59 strains were positive for both methicillin resistance and slime producing, phenotypically, suggesting lack of correlation between methicillin resistance and slime production in these isolates. In conclusion, the optimized triplex PCR in this study was useful for rapid and reliable detection of methicillin resistant S. aureus. Furthermore, only PCR targetting icaA and icaD may not sufficient to detect slime production and further studies targetting other ica genes should be conducted for accurate evaluation of slime production characters of S. aureus strains.

Mastitis is one of the biggest problems of dairy cattle industries. In recent years, fungal agents have been frequently reported among the causative agents for mastitis. Among the fungal agents, Candida species are the most common. This study's aims were the isolation, identification, and determination of antifungal susceptibility of Candida species causing mycotic mastitis in cattle. A total of 260 mastitic milk samples were collected from different farms. Identification was conducted by rapid diagnostic tests and nested PCR method; 6 different antifungal agents were examined. Candida sp. was detected in 46 (17.7%) of the 260 mastitic milk samples. Based on API 20 C AUX and nested PCR test results, 6 different species of Candida were identified. C. tropicalis was the predominant one (26.1%), followed by C. parasilosis (21.7%), C. kefyr and C. krusei (17.4% each), C. rugosa (13%), and C. glabrata (4.4%). A total of 46 strains were confirmed by PCR. According to antifungal test results, the isolates were found to be susceptible to ketoconazole (78.3%) and resistant to flucytosine (91.3%), amphotericin (82.6%), miconazole and nystatin (73.9%), and fluconazole (69.5%).

The genus Brucella causes significant economic losses due to infertility, abortion, stillbirth or weak calves, and neonatal mortality in livestock. Brucellosis is still a zoonosis of public health importance worldwide. The study was aimed to optimize and evaluate PCR assays used for the diagnosis of Brucella infections. For this aim, several primers and PCR protocols were performed and compared with Brucella cultures and biological material inoculated with Brucella. In PCR assays, genus- or species-specific oligonucleotide primers derived from 16S rRNA sequences (F4/R2, Ba148/928, IS711, BruP6-P7) and OMPs (JPF/JPR, 31ter/sd) of Brucella were used. All primers except for BruP6-P7 detected the DNA from reference Brucella strains and field isolates. In spiked blood, milk, and semen samples, F4-R2 primer-oriented PCR assays detected minimal numbers of Brucella. In spiked serum and fetal stomach content, Ba148/928 primer-oriented PCR assays detected minimal numbers of Brucella. Field samples collected from sheep and cattle were examined by bacteriological methods and optimized PCR assays. Overall, sensitivity of PCR assays was found superior to conventional bacteriological isolation. Brucella DNA was detected in 35.1, 1.1, 24.8, 5.0, and 8.0% of aborted fetus, blood, milk, semen, and serum samples by PCR assays, respectively. In conclusion, PCR assay in optimized conditions was found to be valuable in sensitive and specific detection of Brucella infections of animals.

Enterococci are commensal organisms of human and animals, and may cause diseases in particular conditions. Several virulence factors are responsible in the production of diseases. The aim of this study was to isolate enterococci from fish and to determine virulence factors of the isolates. A total of 26 (13%) Enterococcus faecalis strains were isolated from live, moribund and dead fish collected from fish farms in Aegian Region. Cytolysin and gelatinase activities and aggregation substance production of these strains were examined.Cytolysin production was not detected in any of E. faecalis strains. Of 26 strains tested, 27% was found to produce aggregation substance. Gelatinase activity was found in 11.5% of strains. The presence of strains with important virulence factors in enterococci from fish was established. It was suggested that these strains have the potential of producing disease in human and animals.

Vibrio (also known as Listonella) species are widely distributed in aquatic environments and are often mentioned as the aquatic equivalent of aeromonads. The aim of this study is to investigate the exposure of rainbow trouts with V. anguillarum, and determination of antimicrobial resistance of the isolated strains. A total of 100 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) samples were collected from various commercial fish hatcheries in the Aegean Region of Turkey in June 2013. Twelve V. anguillarum were isolated from 100 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) samples. V. anguillarum isolates were resistant to cloxacillin, ampicillin, sulfamethoxazol-trimethoprime and erythromycin in the ratio of 100 %. High levels of resistance are considered to be the result of random antibiotic therapies in aquaculture, hence the results of this study indicated that identification of etiological agent and the exact chemotherapy must be applied in order to prevent residual water contamination and resistant strains of V. anguillarum.

Caseous lymphadenitis is still a serious zoonotic problem in Turkey. Sheep suffer from the disease with yield loss in wool and meat production. Moreover, with inexperienced laboratory staff, biochemical identification may go unrevealed. The scope of this study was to demonstrate the presence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in sheep by PCR. The sampling was conducted via collecting lymph fluids from the lymph node internal pouch wall of 100 sheep that were examined for the presence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Molecular identification of the Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates was carried out by establishing the presence of the proline iminopeptidase gene. All isolates were confirmed to be Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction. The polymerase chain reaction procedure conducted in this research was observed to be reliable and fast, and could be utilized for confirmation of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep as an optional technique to timeconsuming biochemical identification methods. Pleomorphic bacteria, caseous lymphadenitis, proline iminopeptidase, PCR

The objective of the present study was to determine the bacterial and fungal agents accompanying with cutaneous lesions of dogs suffering from Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL). Sterile swap samples were taken from cutaneous lesions inspected of ears, dorsal, collar, pectoral, inguinal and interdigital spaces of 20 dogs, in which diagnosis were based on a combination of clinical symptoms, anti-leishmania antibody titers by use of Immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and dogs were further classified according to the Leishvet Guidelines involving serological, hematological, serum biochemical, and urinalysis. Swap samples were inoculated to culture media for isolation and identification of bacterial and mycotic agents. 48 Staphylococcus aureus, 4 Bacillus cereus, 8 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 24 Candida albicans, 24 Microsporium canis and 4 Aspergillus niger were isolated and identified in both group of dogs. Regarding antibiotic susceptibility test, the isolates were found 100% susceptible to cefoperazone and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 53% to danofloxacin, 46% of the isolates were susceptible to enrofloxacin, and all of the isolates were resistant (100%) to penicillin G and gentamicin.In conclusion, the antibacterial and antifungal therapy should be provided in accordance with antibiotic susceptibility tests in skin lesions of dogs suffering with CVL.

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