Polymerase chain reaction-based temporal detection of <em>Pasteurella multocida</em> B:2 in the blood of experimentally infected mice

Abstract

Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is a major disease of cattle and buffaloes characterized by an acute, highly fatal septicemia with high morbidity and mortality. Sporadic cases are more difficult to diagnose clinically and hence diagnosis at an early stage is required for control of the disease. The present study was conducted to compare the temporal sensitivity of multiplex PCR and bacterial isolation to diagnose hemorrhagic septicemia due to <em>Pasteurella multocida</em> at an early stage <em>i.e.</em> before the appearance of clinical signs in mice. Multiplex-PCR (mPCR)was evaluated for simultaneous as well as temporal detection and identification of <em>P. multocida</em> at type level for early and accurate diagnosis of hemorrhagic septicemia (HS). Swiss albino mice were experimentally infected with 100 colony forming units (CFU) of the bacteria <em>P. Multocida</em> TypeB:2 Strain P⁵². Heart blood samples were collected, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h post infection for bacterial isolation as well as detection and identification by mPCR. The <em>P. multocida</em> was isolated from the heart blood sample collected as early as 8 h post infection while mPCR detected the bacterial DNA as early as 4 h post infection before the appearance of clinical signs hence mPCR for <em>P. multocida</em> Type B:2 was found to be more sensitive than the bacterial isolation for diagnosis of HS.