Phylogenetic relationship of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale strains.

The bacterium Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale is associated with respiratory disease in wild birds and poultry. In this study, the phylogenetic analysis of nine reference strains of O. rhinotracheale belonging to serovars A to I, and eight Mexican isolates belonging to serovar A, was performed. The analysis was extended to include sequences from another 23 strains available in the public domain. The analysis showed that the 40 sequences formed six clusters, I to VI. All eight Mexican field isolates were placed in cluster I. One of the reference strains appears to present genetic diversity not previously recognized and was placed in a new genetic cluster. In conclusion, the phylogenetic analysis of O. rhinotracheale strains, based on the 16S rRNA gene, is a suitable tool for epidemiologic studies.