P.alcalifaciens isolates from Norwegian dogs, other animals and the environment

In 2019, a surge in acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea (AHD) cases in Norwegian dogs was linked to Providencia alcalifaciens. The isolates in this study were sequenced to contextualize Norwegian P. alcalifaciens isolates in a global context, and to analyze their virulence-associated genes. Results revealed two main clusters, with most of the isolates from sick dogs falling into a specific subcluster. These isolates proved to harbor key virulence genes and plasmid elements. These findings indicate that particular genetic variants are more virulent and strongly associated with AHD in dogs, reinforcing the connection between this lineage and the 2019 outbreak.

2019年，挪威犬群中急性出血性腹泻（acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea, AHD）病例数激增，该疫情与产碱普罗威登斯菌（Providencia alcalifaciens）存在关联。本研究对相关分离株进行测序，以期将挪威产碱普罗威登斯菌分离株置于全球研究背景下开展分析，并解析其毒力相关基因。研究结果显示存在两个主要聚类簇，绝大多数来自患病犬只的分离株均隶属于某一特定亚簇。经检测，这些分离株携带有关键毒力基因与质粒元件。上述研究结果表明，特定的遗传变异株毒力更强，且与犬类急性出血性腹泻显著相关，进一步印证了该菌谱系与2019年暴发疫情之间的关联。