Abstract
P. anatipestifer isolates from commercially raised, clinically diseased White Pekin ducks were serotyped by agglutination and agar-gel precipitin methods. Plate agglutination was found to be the most suitable test for preliminary classification. Based on National Animal Disease Center (Ames, Iowa) nomenclature, 6 serotypes were classified as types 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8. These were compared with strains held by Houghton Poultry Research Station (Houghton, Huntingdon, England, UK), at present constituting 15 serotypes (A-O), isolated in England and other countries. Serotype 1 was found to be identical to serotype A, the strain most commonly associated with anatipestifer septicemia in England. Serotype 2 reacted strongly with antiserum to serotype I, also associated with outbreaks of the disease in England. Serotype 3 was found to be identical to serotype L, which was isolated from an outbreak of the disease in swans in Tasmania, Australia. Types 5, 7, and 8 did not react with any of the typing sera available; sertoype 7 was found to be identical to a strain (type N) isolated subsequently in England. More than 95% of field isolations made from 1975-1979 belonged to serotypes 1, 2 and 5.