Laboratory Study to Shed Light on Diagnosis and Treatment of Streptococcus Associated Diseases

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:

We ask swine veterinarians or veterinarians involved in any kind of commercial swine operation in western Canada to submit samples just like they would do for a diagnostic workup.

Once they do that, we'll identify those samples where Streptococci are isolated and those interested veterinarians will be contacted and we'll talk to them through what's needed for them to be part of the study.

It really is a five-minute epidemiological survey just for us to understand where the samples are coming from. They will then receive a report that is beyond the regular diagnostic workup so they get extra information that will hopefully help them deal with their problem in the barn and will help us understand the overall bigger picture in western Canada.