Evaluation of different API systems for identification of porcine Pasteurella multocida isolates

An exhaustive biochemical characterisation of 60 porcine Pasteurella multocida clinical isolates recovered from lesions indicative of pneumonia, previously confirmed by PCR and all belonging to the capsular serogroup A, was performed by means of four commercial systems. The API 20NE correctly identified almost all isolates (95%), but only 60% could be ascribed to this species by the API 20E method. The high diversity exhibited by the API 50CHB/E system, with six different patterns, does not advise its use as additional system for a definitive identification at the species level, but this method could be a potential tool for characterising P. multocida isolates below this level. The more uniform reactions yielded by the API ZYM test make this system helpful in the confirmatory identification of this organism. The high variability (20 profiles) obtained when the four systems are taken together also suggests their usefulness for epidemiological purposes in order to sub-type P. multocida isolates.