Biotyping of Haemophilus paragallinarum isolates using hemagglutinin serotyping, carbohydrate fermentation patterns, and antimicrobial drug resistance patterns.

Three techniques, a hemagglutinin (HA) serotyping scheme, carbohydrate fermentation patterns, and antimicrobial drug resistance patterns, were used to examine 92 isolates of Haemophilus paragallinarum. The results were used to create biotyping schemes. The carbohydrate fermentation and antimicrobial drug resistance patterns each resulted in the identification of five biovars. With both of these techniques, a large majority of the isolates fell into one biovar: 81% were biochemical biovar I and 73% were antimicrobial biovar I. However, by combining the results of these techniques with those of the HA serotyping, a much greater discrimination could be achieved. The combined use of hemagglutinin serotyping, biochemical biotyping and antimicrobial biotyping appears to provide a suitable approach for epizootiological studies on infectious coryza.