To investigate the epidemiological trait of intestinal diseases of animals caused by thermophilic Campyllobacter spp., isolation of etiological agent was carried out and the profiles of plasmids and the transfer of resistance plasmid in the isolated Campylobacter spp. were examined.
The results were as follows.
1. A total of 110 isolates of C jejuni and C coli were subjected to the test for the presence of plasmid DNA. Of the isolates examined, 60% of the isolates were noted to harbor plasmid DNA. Plasmid occurrencer ate from pigs, chickens and cattle were 76.2%, 61.7% and 37.7%, respectively. The plasmids of a large molecular weight, ranging from 36 Md to 86Md, were identified with the strains of tetracycline resistant.
2. Transfer frequency of tetracycline resistant plasmids was higher in the case of the filter mating method than in the broth mating method by the factor of 10∼1,000.
3. Tetracycline resistant plasmids of C jejuni were transferrable to C jejuni and C coli by conjugation. In a low frequency, the transfer of tetracycline plasmid was also possible to Vibrio parahemolyticus. However, it was impossible to transfer to Streptococcus fecalis, E coli and Vibrio cholerae.
4. Tetracycline resistant plasmids of C jejuni were impossible to transfer to Campylobacter spp. and related bacteria by transformation.
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