Adherence of Pasteurella multocida isolated from pigs and relationship with capsular type and dermonecrotic toxin production.

Pasteurella multocida can often be isolated from pneumonic lungs in pigs. There is little information about the pathogenesis of this infection. Attachment of microorganisms to eucaryotic cells is considered to be a prerequisite for colonization of the host in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections. Forty-seven P multocida strains isolated from pigs in France, and belonging to capsular type A or D were tested for their ability to agglutinate human erythrocytes, and to adhere to tracheal and lung cells. Each isolate was tested for dermonecrotic toxin production. Adherent strains were further observed by electron microscopy to look for attachment structure. Only type A strains agglutinated human O erythrocytes, but no relationship was observed between hemagglutination and dermonecrotic toxin production. The results of the adherence tests showed a greater affinity (P less than 0.05) of type A strains for lung cells (50% were adherent, whereas only 20% of type D strains were adherent) but did not reveal any correlation between adherence and the presence of dermonecrotic toxin. Microscope observations showed that these P multocida strains did not possess any pili-like structures. In conclusion, by means of the adherence test we were able to demonstrate a stronger adherence of type A strains and this adherence did not seem to be related to pili-like structures.