Comparative Analysis of Pasteurella multocida Isolates from Acute and Chronic Fowl Cholera Cases in Hungary During the Period 2005 Through 2010

SUMMARY Fowl cholera (FC) is a highly contagious and economically important disease of poultry worldwide. This study was performed on 218 Pasteurella multocida isolates collected from separated breeding farms or backyards with acute and chronic FC cases in multiple localities across Hungary during the period 2005–2010. All isolates were characterized by a broad range of biochemical, serological, and molecular methods, as well as their antibiotic susceptibility to aminoglycosides (A), macrolides (M), penicillins (P), quinolones (Q), cephalosporins, sulphonamides (S), and tetracyclines (T) was determined. Fifty-two percent of all isolates belonged to a well-defined type that was highly virulent, caused acute FC, and had the same character: fermented L-arabinose, possessed capsule type A, identified as Heddleston serotype 1, and possessed allele type A of the ptfA fimbrial gene. This type was widely distributed among poultry in Hungary, especially in waterfowl flocks. Isolates collected from the chronic FC c...