In this study, the techniques tested are confirmed as good tools
for molecular typing, because they allow discrimination between P. damselae
ssp. damselae strains isolated within the same outbreak. In addition, ERIC-PCR
and REP-PCR methods were more adequate for rapid typing of P. damselae
ssp. damselae than RAPD, allowing the discrimination at strain level.
Significance and Impact of the Study: The results, in agreement with previous
studies, confirmed the high intraspecific variability among isolated P. damselae
ssp. damselae strains at both phenotypic and genetic levels. This suggests the
existence of different clonal lineages that coexist in the same geographic area,
within a short period of time (2–3 years). The discrimination at strain level
can be useful to study the traceability of infections.
