Genome-Wide Association Studies of Virulent and Avirulent Haemophilus parasuis Serotype 4 Strains

Haemophilus parasuis is a normal commensal of the upper respiratory tract of healthy pigs. However, in conjunction with stress and/or viral infections, or in immunocompromised animals, H. parasuis can transform into a pathogen causing Glasser’s disease, which is typically characterized by fibrinous polyserositis, polyarthritis, meningitis, and sometimes acute pneumonia and septicemia. H. parasuis serotype 5 is highly virulent and more frequently isolated from respiratory and systemic infection in pigs. Recently Newport Laboratories isolated highly virulent H. parasuis serotype 4 strains from the tissues of diseased pigs. This study was undertaken to identify the genes responsible for H. parasuis serotype 4 virulence. To achieve this objective we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) across two virulent and three avirulent H. parasuis serotype 4 strains.