Western Canadian swine veterinarians are being encouraged to participate in a study designed to shed new light on the diagnosis and treatment of Streptococcus associated diseases. Streptococcus is a genus of bacteria with multiple species, the most concerning being Streptococcus suis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae and more recently Streptococcus zooepidemicus, that cause a wide range of clinical signs.
The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network, Prairie Diagnostic Services in Saskatoon and Veterinary Diagnostic Services in Winnipeg are collaborating on a laboratory investigation aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of Streptococcus associated infections.
Dr. Matheus Costa, an Assistant Professor with the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine and an adjunct professor with Utrecht University, explains the goal is to identify whether Streptococcus samples are associated with infection, whether there are other agents associated with disease, which species are responsible for which symptoms and to assess their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles.
Clip-Dr. Matheus Costa-Western College of Veterinary Medicine: