DNA fingerprint patterns of Pasteurella multocida from the same turkey farm on the same and different years

The DNA fingerprint profiles of 126 isolants of Pasteurella multocida from 41 turkey farms in Missouri were analyzed after digestion with the restriction endonuclease HhaI and compared with their somatic antigenic type. The goal was to determine if the same isolant of P. multocida was reisolated from the the same farm during the same and consecutive years and after an interval of one or more years. Of the 37 pairs of P. multocida collected during the same year from the same turkey farms, the DNA fingerprint profiles were the same with 26 pairs (70.3%) and different with 11 pairs (29.7%). Of the 33 pairs of P. multocida collected during consecutive years from the same 22 turkey farms, 21 pairs (63.6%) were the same and 12 pairs (36.4%) were different. Of the 15 pairs of P. multocida collected with an interval of one or more years between them from the same 14 turkey farms, only four pairs (26.7%) were the same and 11 pairs (73.3%) were different. There did not appear to be any relationship between the DNA fingerprint profiles and the typing of their somatic antigens because, although 44 pairs of isolants had the same DNA fingerprint profile and somatic antigenic type, 42 pairs differed in these parameters when all pairs were combined.