3.3. Molecular profiles of pathogen isolates
A total of 19 different PFGE profiles (Z70% similarity)
were identified among the 123 of the 145 C. jejuni isolates
of small ruminant origin (Fig. 1). Fourteen distinct PFGE
band patterns were found among the 63 profiled MD
isolates, but only five differentiable patterns were obtained
from the 60 profiled VA isolates. Of the 48 small ruminants
(24 at VA and 24 at MD) with repetitive (Z2) C. jejuni
positive test results, 38 (17 at VA and 21 at MD) had strain
reoccurrence based on PFGE. Fifteen of the 17 strain
reoccurrences observed in VA were associated with one
predominant C. jejuni strain (PFGE pattern-23) found
across two springs and one autumn, in both sheep and
goats, and under both feeding systems (Fig. 1). The PFGE
pattern was shared by 85% profiled VA small ruminant
isolates. In contrast, the PFGE profile of the predominant
C. jejuni strain at MD was shared only by 14 of the 63
profiled small ruminant isolates (PFGE pattern-11; from
sheep of both genders and both feeding systems). C. jejuni
with indistinguishable PFGE profiles were isolated repetitively
from both small ruminant species, both genders, and
both feeding systems across test seasons and herds. However,
no PFGE profiles of C. jejuni from VA small ruminants
matched that of the MD small ruminants.