Random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reactionanalysis on animal pasteurellosis

Pasteurella multocida is an important primary and opportunistic pathogen of various domestic and wild animals. Isolates (15) of Pasteurella multocida from bovine, ovine and poultry origin were isolated in different places of Tamil Nadu, India. All the 15 isolates were confirmed as Pasteurella multocida by PCR assay with specific primers. Discriminate RAPD patterns were obtained using different primers. The combined primers gave reproducible DNA fragments size, ranging from 290bp to 1503bp and number of bands ranging from 1 to 7. On the basis of dendrogram analysis the 15 isolates were grouped into 8 different RAPD types. Differences among P.multocida isolates were discernible by RAPD analysis, whereas conventional bacteriological methods failed to differentiate these isolates. Hence RAPD-PCR provides a rapid and powerful tool to study the epidemiology of P.multocida.