Vet Med - Czech, 2026, 71(3):83-94 | DOI: 10.17221/68/2025-VETMED

Establishment of an experimental pig model for the induction of a Staphylococcus hyicus skin infectionOriginal Paper

K Matiaskova ORCID...1, M Reichelova ORCID...2, E Jeklova ORCID...1, M Zouharova ORCID...1, S Kobzova ORCID...1, K Nedbalcova ORCID...1, J Matiasovic ORCID...1, M Faldyna1
1 Department of Infectious diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Department of Microbiology and Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic

Staphylococcus hyicus is one of the causative agents of exudative epidermitis in pigs. The aim of this study was to establish a porcine challenge model of a skin infection caused by S. hyicus to assess the effectiveness of a medicinal product intended for local application. Based on the results of the presence of toxin encoding genes and antimicrobial resistance (detected resistance to clindamycin, penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline), three field strains were selected for the trial. At D0, six surface defects were created on the back of six piglets. The defects were inoculated with bacteria at two different concentrations: 1 × 108 or 1 × 109 CFU/ml. Every day throughout the experiment, the pigs were monitored, and their rectal temperatures were measured. On D4, D9, and D14, a visual evaluation and indirect bacteriological imprints of the defects were performed. Crusts were present from D9, and a lower bacterial concentration led to reduced secretion and crust formation. Based on the results of bacterial cultivation of the indirect imprints, however, S. hyicus was present in greater amounts in the wound defects infected with the lower bacterial concentration. As there were differences in the obtained results among the strains used, it can be concluded that the strain marked as CAPM 6689 seems to be the most applicable and the lower concentration was enough for the infection development.

Keywords: bacteria; exudative epidermitis; Staphylococcaceae; weaning; wounds

Received: September 15, 2025; Revised: November 12, 2025; Accepted: December 17, 2025; Published: March 30, 2026  Show citation

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Matiaskova K, Reichelova M, Jeklova E, Zouharova M, Kobzova S, Nedbalcova K, et al.. Establishment of an experimental pig model for the induction of a Staphylococcus hyicus skin infection. Veterinární medicína. 2026;71(3):83-94. doi: 10.17221/68/2025-VETMED.
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