ABSTRACT. Bacterial isolation from slaughtered pigs with endocarditis was carried out from 1985 to 1994. A total of 495 (0.025%) out of 2,006,127 pigs were diagnosed as having endocarditis. Though bacteria were significantly isolated from 399 of the 495 pigs, bacteria could not be isolated in 96 pigs (19.4%). In 11 pigs, 2 bacterial species were isolated from heart lesion. Streptococcus suis was isolated from 127 cases (25.7%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae from 75 (15.2%), Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae from 63 (12.7%), Actinomyces pyogenes from 39 (7.9%), Pasteurella multocida from 11 (2.2%), Staphylococcus aureus from 10 (2.0%), and Streptococcus porcinus from 8 (1.6%). Among the 99 isolates biochemically identified as S. suis, the major serotype was S. suis type 2 (35.4%). The remainder of the typable isolates were identified as serotypes 1/2 (2.0%) and 9 (1.0%). A total of 61 isolates (61.6%) were untypable. -KEY WORDS: bacterial endocarditis, swine (slaughtered), Streptococcus suis.

Summary Isolation of Rhodococcus equi from the submaxillary lymph nodes of pigs, with or without caseous lymphadenitis, and typing of the isolates by two serological methods were carried out. The rate of isolation of the organisms from the lymph nodes of pigs was 5 times higher in the lymph nodes with caseous lymphadenitis than in those without the lesion. Of 219 isolates, 146 (66.7%) were typable by the method of Prescott, while all the 219 isolates (100 %) were typable by the method of Nakazawa et al. The most frequently isolated were serotype 2 of Prescott (identical to serogroup 16 of Nakazawa et al.), and serogroup 3 of Nakazawa et al., which did not correspond with any serotypes of Prescott. Serotypes/serogroups of R. equi from pigs were thus first clarified in Japan.

ABSTRACT. The nucleotide sequences of the 16S rDNA in 17 strains of 16 taxa of the genus Staphylococcus were determined. The sequences were compared phylogenetically together with the gene sequences of 10 (including 7 other species) Staphylococcus species retrieved from the DNA Data Bank of Japan. Although the primary and secondary structures of most of Staphylococcus species were very similar (homology values 96.4% or more) except for S. caseolyticus MAFF 911387 T (homology values 95.4% or less), the 23 staphylococcal species were divided into 10 groups based on similarity, evolutionary distance and phylogenetic tree analysis. Nucleotide stretches in several variable domains in the 16S rDNA sequence appeared to be specific for the bacterial groups or the species. By comparing such characteristics in the sequence and phylogenies of 5 staphylococcal clinical isolates from bovine mastitis, canine and feline pyoderma, and feline urogenital syndrome with the information obtained in this study, the species level of each organism was identified. -KEY WORDS: rDNA, 16S ribosomal RNA, Staphylococcus.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 59(9): 775-783, 1997 have indicated the existence of species-specific nucleotide stretches within the gene [3,28,39], however, the number of the species determined their sequence were limited. The aim of this study was to detect subtle differences between staphylococcal species by comparing their sequence patterns of the 16S rDNA and to understand the phylogenetic relationships. We also examined the usefulness of comparative gene analysis for precise identification of staphylococcal isolates in the veterinary field. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-seven strains of parainfluenza 3 virus were isolated on bovine kidney cell cultures from Japanese cattle in herds suffering from acute respiratory illness. This finding, together with the clinical and epidemiologic observations and the results of a serologic survey, indicates that in Japan, as in the United States and other countries, this virus is one of the important causes of acute respiratory disease in cattle. A significant finding in the present study is that virus was recovered from milk as well as from nasal secretions. This finding suggests an important role for milk, along with nasal discharges, in disseminating the virus among cattle. In addition, the recovery of virus from milk presents a new problem concerning this infection in cattle, in particular, the potential role of this virus in the pathogenesis of mastitis.