Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from Goats in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The submitted manuscript provides a first scientifically documented report on the occurrence of caseous lymphadenitis in goats grazing on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study performed by the authors is properly described and comprehensively illustrated. Although six isolates are not enough for the comprehensive population study and current standards require genome sequencing and determination of specific genome loci (e.g. transmittable antibiotic resistance genes), I recommend this manuscript for publication in its current form. I hope that as a very simple case study this manuscript will facilitate the dipper study of the spreading of caseous lymphadenitis in the studied area.

Author Response

Reviewer 1

The submitted manuscript provides a first scientifically documented report on the occurrence of caseous lymphadenitis in goats grazing on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study performed by the authors is properly described and comprehensively illustrated. Although six isolates are not enough for the comprehensive population study and current standards require genome sequencing and determination of specific genome loci (e.g. transmittable antibiotic resistance genes), I recommend this manuscript for publication in its current form. I hope that as a very simple case study this manuscript will facilitate the dipper study of the spreading of caseous lymphadenitis in the studied area.

Response: The authors would like to thank the reviewer for his/her enthusiasm in the current study and appreciate the positive comments.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Editor,

I have reviewed the manuscript. The manuscript is written well and designed well. The authors isolated and characterized C. pseudotuberculosis from goats in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.  However, there many comments were raised. 

Please write amoxicillin/clavulanic acid instead of amoxiclav.

Although the authors cultured the pus specimens into BHI broth not agar, they characterize the colony color and consistency. description of colonies occurred where they are grown on agar not broth.

In whole of manuscript, please write the name of antibiotics according to alphabet order or according to their class. Please mention the company that purchased the discs.

The authors did antibiotic sensitivity testing before identification. Identification must be done first.

The authors in methodology mentioned genotypic identification by PCR by detection of 16 SrRNA ans rpoB and they did not do traditionaries or automated biochemical tests. However, in results, they mentioned the results of biochemical tests and sugar fermentation tests. 

The authors isolated six isolates and in AST they did only four.

The number of isolates is low.

The work lacks important molecular tools such as PFGE, MLST to prove outbreak.

     

 

Author Response

General Comment: I have reviewed the manuscript. The manuscript is written well and designed well. The authors isolated and characterized C. pseudotuberculosis from goats in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.  However, there many comments were raised. 

Response: The authors would like to thank the reviewer for his/her enthusiasm in our study. The comments raised by the reviewer have been addressed and modifications have been made in the revised manuscript.

Comment 1. Please write amoxicillin/clavulanic acid instead of amoxiclav.

Response: Done

Comment 2. Although the authors cultured the pus specimens into BHI broth not agar, they characterize the colony color and consistency. description of colonies occurred where they are grown on agar not broth.

Response: The colonies was grown on agar also and from the agar, colonies were characterized. This information has been included in the revised manuscript.

Comment 3. In whole of manuscript, please write the name of antibiotics according to alphabet order or according to their class. Please mention the company that purchased the discs.

Response: done in alphabetical orders; mentioned the company name.

Comment 4. The authors did antibiotic sensitivity testing before identification. Identification must be done first.

Response: We agree with the reviewer. Identification was done first based on colony characters, biochemical and molecular confirmation, after that the antibiotic sensitivity test was done. Necessary modification has been made in the revised manuscript. 

Comment 5. The authors in methodology mentioned genotypic identification by PCR by detection of 16 SrRNA and rpoB and they did not do traditionaries or automated biochemical tests. However, in results, they mentioned the results of biochemical tests and sugar fermentation tests. 

Response: Conventional biochemical and sugar fermentation tests were done and has been mentioned in materials and methods and results section.

Comment 6. The authors isolated six isolates and in AST they did only four.

Response: As representative samples the AST was done for four isolates only.

Comment 7. The number of isolates is low.

Response: The disease has been reported for the first time in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Based on the clinical samples from the reported outbreak, the isolates were identified during the course of the study. A detailed study has been initiated to survey and screen for isolation and identification of more isolates.

Comment 8. The work lacks important molecular tools such as PFGE, MLST to prove outbreak.

Response: We have used the standard PCR based confirmative diagnosis based on 16S rRNA, and rpoB gene fragments, which has been used by many researchers for identification and confirmation. In addition, we used both cultural isolation, identification, and PCR based confirmation of the Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Authors revised the whole comments