{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T02:41:02Z","timestamp":1784169662932,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,22]],"date-time":"2022-06-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1655856000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Alpacas are the major camelid species in Europe held for hobbies, animal-aided therapy, and commercial reasons. As a result, health-related issues associated with alpacas are of growing significance. This especially holds true for one of the most serious infectious diseases, caseous lymphadenitis, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Corynebacterium (C.) pseudotuberculosis. Our study focuses on post-mortem examinations, the laboratory diagnostic tool ELISA, and the immunoblot technique for the detection of specific antibodies against C. pseudotuberculosis and detection of the causative pathogen in alpaca herds. We examined a total of 232 alpacas living in three herds. Four of these alpacas were submitted for post-mortem examination, revealing abscesses, apostematous and fibrinous inflammation in inner organs, pleura, and peritoneum. Serological investigation using a commercial ELISA based on phospholipase D (PLD) as antigen and an in-lab ELISA based on whole cell antigens (WCA) revealed an overall seroprevalence of 56% and 61.2%, respectively. A total of 247 alpaca sera originating from 232 animals were tested comparatively using the in-lab and the commercial ELISA and showed a substantial degree of agreement, of 89.5% (Cohen\u2019s kappa coefficient of 0.784), for both tests. Further comparative serological studies using the two ELISAs and the immunoblot technique were carried out on selected sera originating from 12 breeding stallions and six breeding mares for which epidemiological data and partial C. pseudotuberculosis isolates were available. The results showed the immunoblot to have a sensitivity that was superior to both ELISAs. In this context, it should be emphasized that evaluation of these investigations and the epidemiological data suggest an incubation period of one to two months. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of 13 C. pseudotuberculosis isolates based on the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations using the broth microdilution method revealed uniform susceptibility to aminopenicillins, cephalosporines, macrolides, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, tetracycline, sulfonamid\/trimethoprime, tiamulin, gentamicin, neomycin, spectinomycin, and vancomycin, but resistance to colistin, nitrofurantoin, and oxacillin.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12131612","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,22]],"date-time":"2022-06-22T21:31:06Z","timestamp":1655933466000},"page":"1612","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Infections in Alpacas (Vicugna pacos)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Reinhard","family":"Sting","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"},{"name":"Consiliary Laboratory for Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis (DVG), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Geiger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"},{"name":"Consiliary Laboratory for Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis (DVG), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wolfram","family":"Rietschel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pferdeklinik in Kirchheim, N\u00fcrtinger Str. 200, 73230 Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Birgit","family":"Blazey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ingo","family":"Schwabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1213-3586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"J\u00f6rg","family":"Rau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lisa","family":"Schneider-B\u00fchl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chemical and Veterinary Analysis Agency Stuttgart (CVUAS), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"},{"name":"Consiliary Laboratory for Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis (DVG), Schaflandstr. 3\/3, 70736 Fellbach, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.158.3.86","article-title":"Postal survey of the population of South American camelids in the United Kingdom in 2000\/01","volume":"158","author":"Knowles","year":"2006","journal-title":"Vet. Rec."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Neubert, S., von Altrock, A., Wendt, M., and Wagener, M.G. (2021). Llama and alpaca management in Germany\u2014Results of an online survey among owners on farm structure, health problems and self-reflection. Animals, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani11010102"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1743","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.2004.225.1743","article-title":"Infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in five alpacas","volume":"225","author":"Anderson","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"1022","article-title":"Caseous Lymphadenitis (Pseudotuberculosis) in Camelids: A Review","volume":"3","author":"Wernery","year":"2016","journal-title":"Austin J. Vet. Sci. Animal Husb."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.159.1.23","article-title":"Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in highland alpacas (Lama pacos) in Peru","volume":"159","author":"Braga","year":"2006","journal-title":"Vet. Rec."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"511","article-title":"Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in a dromedary (Camelus dromedaries) in Germany","volume":"130","author":"Sting","year":"2017","journal-title":"Berl. Munch. Tierarztl. Wochenschr."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"387","article-title":"Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis liver abscess in a mature alpaca (Lama pacos)","volume":"53","author":"Sprake","year":"2012","journal-title":"Can. Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1570","DOI":"10.2460\/ajvr.67.9.1570","article-title":"Clinical, humoral, and pathologic findings in adult alpacas with experimentally induced Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection","volume":"67","author":"Braga","year":"2006","journal-title":"Am. J. Vet. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2006.08.019","article-title":"Protection in alpacas against Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis using different bacterial components","volume":"119","author":"Braga","year":"2007","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smallrumres.2006.04.017","article-title":"A primary Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis low dose infection in alpacas (Lama pacos) protects against a lethal challenge exposure","volume":"72","author":"Braga","year":"2007","journal-title":"Small Rumin. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"829","DOI":"10.2460\/ajvr.2004.65.829","article-title":"Use of a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based fluorogenic 5\u2019 nuclease assay to evaluate insect vectors of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infections in horses","volume":"65","author":"Spier","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. J. Vet. Res."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2013.02.031","article-title":"Differences in the antigen structures of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and the induced humoral immune response in sheep and goats","volume":"164","author":"Hoelzle","year":"2013","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"136","article-title":"Clinical and serological investigations on caseous lymphadenitis in goat breeding herds in Baden-Wuerttemberg","volume":"130","author":"Sting","year":"2017","journal-title":"Berl. Munch. Tierarztl. Wochenschr."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"680","DOI":"10.1038\/227680a0","article-title":"Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4","volume":"227","author":"Laemmli","year":"1970","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"1","article-title":"MALDI-UP\u2014An Internet Platform for the Exchange of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectra\u2014User guide","volume":"1","author":"Rau","year":"2016","journal-title":"Asp. Food Control. Anim. Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3614","DOI":"10.1099\/ijsem.0.004195","article-title":"Corynebacterium silvaticum sp. nov., a unique group of NTTB corynebacteria in wild boar and roe deer","volume":"70","author":"Dangel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.13.2.335-343.1981","article-title":"Phospholipase D activity of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Corynebacterium ovis) and Corynebacterium ulcerans, a distinctive marker within the genus Corynebacterium","volume":"13","author":"Barksdale","year":"1981","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"MacFaddin, J.F. (2000). Biochemical Tests for Identification of Medical Bacteria, Williams and Wilkins. [3rd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.148.18.567","article-title":"Win Episcope 2.0: Improved epidemiological software for veterinary medicine","volume":"148","author":"Thrusfield","year":"2001","journal-title":"Vet. Rec."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.2307\/2529310","article-title":"The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data","volume":"33","author":"Landis","year":"1977","journal-title":"Biometrics"},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Villena, S.C. (1985). Abscesos en Alpacas: Aspectos Microbiol\u00f3gicos. [Ph.D. Thesis, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos]."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Kobera, R., and Poehle, D. (2004, January 7\u20139). Case report in South American camelid. Proceedings of the 4th European Symposium on South American Camelid and DECAMA European Seminar, G\u00f6ttingen, Germany."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"133","article-title":"Actinomycetes associated with abscess formation in a goat, a llama and two alpacas","volume":"2020","author":"Sting","year":"2020","journal-title":"Berl. Munch. Tierarztl. Wochenschr."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108399","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2019.108399","article-title":"Reliable differentiation of a non-toxigenic tox gene-bearing Corynebacterium ulcerans variant frequently isolated from game animals using MALDI-TOF MS","volume":"237","author":"Rau","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Schulthess, S. (2013). Wirksamkeit Antimikrobieller Wirkstoffe bei Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis: Etablierung und Anwendung einer Empfindlichkeitstestung Mittels Bouillonmikrodilution und Agardiffusion. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Zurich]."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-1135(98)00202-8","article-title":"Comparative molecular characterization of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis of different origin","volume":"62","author":"Costa","year":"1998","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1016\/S0924-8579(01)00424-1","article-title":"Antimicrobial susceptibility of corynebacteria isolated from ewe\u2019s mastitis","volume":"18","author":"Vela","year":"2001","journal-title":"Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents"},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"206","article-title":"Characterization of strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis","volume":"46","author":"Muckle","year":"1982","journal-title":"Can. J. Comp. Med."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"111","article-title":"Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis: Biochemical properties, production of toxin and virulence of ovine and caprine strains","volume":"20","author":"Marly","year":"1989","journal-title":"Ann. Rech. Vet."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"86","article-title":"Biofilm bacteria: Formation and comparative susceptibility to antibiotics","volume":"66","author":"Olson","year":"2002","journal-title":"Can. J. Vet. Res."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"216","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.159.7.216","article-title":"Clinical efficacy of rifampicin SV combined with oxytetracycline in the treatment of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep","volume":"159","author":"Senturk","year":"2006","journal-title":"Vet. Rec."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.5455\/wvj.20160872","article-title":"Serological surveillance of caseous lymphadenitis in Sudanese and Somali camels slaughtered at Al-warraq abattoir, Giza, Egypt","volume":"6","author":"Borham","year":"2016","journal-title":"World Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/S0165-2427(03)00146-6","article-title":"Experimental Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis primary infection in goats: Kinetics of IgG and interferon-gamma production, IgG avidity and antigen recognition by Western blotting","volume":"96","author":"Paule","year":"2003","journal-title":"Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1091","DOI":"10.1590\/1678-5150-pvb-4960","article-title":"Resistance of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in the Brazilian semiarid environment","volume":"38","author":"Oliveira","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pesq. Vet. Bras."}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/12\/13\/1612\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T23:38:02Z","timestamp":1760139482000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/12\/13\/1612"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,22]]},"references-count":34,"journal-issue":{"issue":"13","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7]]}},"alternative-id":["ani12131612"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani12131612","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,22]]}}}