Z-II.2. Laboratory for General Bacteriology and Mycology

Diagnostic activities of the Laboratory for General Bacteriology and Mycology may be divided into two major groups: etiological diagnostics (isolation of a disease agent from diagnostic material and its identification) and serological diagnostics (determination of specific antibodies for specific disease agents) of bacterial diseases in animals.

The Laboratory conducts the diagnostics of a large number of bacterial diseases listed in the “B” list of the International Epizooty Office (anthrax, bovine genital campylobacteriosis, trichomoniasis, haemorrhagic septicaemia, infectious agalactosis of sheep and goats, contagious pleuropneumonia in sheep, contagious equine metritis, porcine atrophic rhinitis, tularaemia, Salmonella infections, etc.) the diagnostics of which is completely harmonized with the recommendations of the International Office for Epizooties and other international standards.

In addition to such diseases, we conduct diagnostics of other significant bacterial diseases such as pasteurellosis, colibacillosis, streptococci and staphylococci infections, gaseous oedema and enterotoxaemia, listeriosis, erysipelas, other significant bacterial infections of animals, as well as fungi infections except dermatophytes. Identification of bacteria and fungi is done by means of modern biochemical identification systems (BBL Crystal, API) with the appropriate software.

Susceptibility of isolated bacterial agents to antimicrobial medications is regularly determined by disk diffusion method (antibiogram) and determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations by means of E-test and microdilution method. Serotyping of Salmonella and E. coli isolates is conducted.

Serological diagnostics currently includes classic agglutination for diagnostics of listeriosis, tularaemia and infections with Salmonella Abortusovis and Salmonella Abortusequi.
Enzyme immunoassays are used for serological diagnostics of mycoplasmal swine pneumonia, porcine pleuropneumonia, porcine salmonellosis and, at clients’ requests, other diseases (e.g. swine ileitis).
At clients’ requests, laboratory tests are conducted on the effects of disinfectants on bacteria strains.

In cooperation with the Laboratory for Bacterial Zoonoses and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, molecular methods (PCR) of diagnostics of specific diseases are used.
For years, the Laboratory for General Bacteriology and Mycology has been producing an experimental vaccine for immunoprophylaxis of neonatal colibacillosis in piglets. Although there are recently sub-unit vaccines on the market, there are still some 10,000 dosages of the vaccine produced per year.