Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
| Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Proteobacteria |
| Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
| Order: | Pasteurellales |
| Family: | Pasteurellaceae |
| Genus: | Actinobacillus |
| Species: | pleuropneumoniae |
| Binomial name | |
|
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (Pohl, 1983) | |
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (previously Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, respiratory pathogen found in pigs. It was first reported in 1957, and was formally declared to be the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia in 1964. It was reclassified in 1983 after DNA studies showed it was more closely related to A. lignieresii.
A. pleuropneumoniae is a nonmotile, Gram-negative, encapsulated coccobacillus bacterium found in the Pasteurellaceae family. It exhibits β-hemolysis activity, thus explaining its growth on chocolate or blood agar, but must be supplemented with NAD ('V factor') to facilitate growth for one of its biological variants (biovar 1). As a facultative anaerobic pathogen, A. pleuropneumoniae may need CO2 to grow. Depending on the biovar, the bacteria may or may not be positive for urease; both biovars are positive for porphyrin.
A. pleuropneumoniae was found to be the causative agent for up to 20% of all bacterial pneumonia cases in swine. The main disease associated with this bacterium is porcine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious respiratory disease, affecting primarily young pigs (usually less than 6 months). All of the symptoms and signs of porcine pleuropneumonia can be attributed to its virulence factors. The symptoms include respiratory distress, bloodstained discharge (usually frothy) from the mouth, fever, anorexia, mild diarrhea, cyanosis, lethargy, and spontaneous abortion in sows. The most common sign for a pig farmer is the sudden death of several pigs over a short period of time. Peak mortality is usually reached when pigs are 10–16 weeks old. It is not uncommon for mortality rates to reach 20-80% in fattening pigs, with similarly high morbidity. Pigs that do survive the disease remain as carriers and spread the bacterium to other swine. Several bacterial combinations are seen in vivo, the most common simultaneous infection being Pasteurella multocida. Treatment must be immediate and continuous. Antibiotics used include ceftiofur, tetracycline, synthetic penicillins, tylosin, and sulfonamides.
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