Serovars of Erysipelothrix strains isolated from pigs affected with erysipelas in Japan

Serovars of 1,046 Erysipelothrix strains isolated from diseased pigs during a period from 1983 to 1993 in Japan were determined by an agar gel double-diffusion precipitation system using typing sera representing all the known serovars, 1 through 23 and type N, of 2 species of Erysipelothrix. A total of 943 strains could be serotyped within the serovars. The remaining 103 strains could not be determined for their serovars and were classified as untypable. Of the 938 (99.5%) strains serologically identified as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, 423 (40.4%) belonged to serovar 1a, 359 (34.3%) to serovar 2, 65 (6.2%) to serovar 1b, 35 (3.3%) to serovar 6, 19 (1.8%) to serovar 5, 11 (1.1%) to serovar 21, and the remaining 26 to serovars 4, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, or 19. Only 5 (0.5%) strains isolated from the cases of erysipelas belonged to Erysipelothrix tonsillarum and represented serovars 7 or 23.