Surveying bovine digital dermatitis and non-healing bovine foot lesions for the presence of Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas endodontalis and Treponema pallidum.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Non-healing bovine foot lesions, including non-healing white line disease, non-healing sole ulcer and toe necrosis, are an increasingly important cause of chronic lameness that are poorly responsive to treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated a high-level association between these non-healing lesions and the Treponema phylogroups implicated in bovine digital dermatitis (BDD). However, a polymicrobial aetiology involving other gram-stain-negative anaerobes is suspected.

METHODS:

A PCR-based bacteriological survey of uncomplicated BDD lesions (n=10) and non-healing bovine foot lesions (n=10) targeting Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Dichelobacter nodosus and Treponema pallidum/T. paraluiscuniculi was performed.

RESULTS:

P. endodontalis DNA was detected in 80.0% of the non-healing lesion biopsies (p=<0.001) but was entirely absent from uncomplicated BDD lesion biopsies. When compared to the BDD lesions, F. necrophorum was detected at a higher frequency in the non-healing lesions (33.3% vs 70.0%, respectively), whereas D. nodosus was detected at a lower frequency (55.5% vs 20.0%, respectively). Conversely, T. pallidum/T. paraluiscuniculi DNA was not detected in either lesion type.

CONCLUSION:

The data from this pilot study suggest that P. endodontalis and F. necrophorum should be further investigated as potential aetiological agents of non-healing bovine foot lesions. A failure to detect syphilis treponemes in either lesion type is reassuring given the potential public health implications such an infection would present.

• Authors: Gareth James Staton, Leigh Emma Sullivan, Roger W Blowey, Stuart D Carter, Nicholas James Evans
• Journal: The Veterinary record (Vet Rec) Vol. 186 Issue 14 Pg. 450 (04 18 2020) ISSN: 2042-7670 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32066637 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © British Veterinary Association 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.

Chemical References

• DNA, Bacterial

Topics

• Animals
• Cattle
• Cattle Diseases (microbiology)
• DNA, Bacterial (isolation & purification)
• Digital Dermatitis (microbiology)
• Female
• Fusobacterium Infections (microbiology, veterinary)
• Fusobacterium necrophorum (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Pilot Projects
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (veterinary)
• Porphyromonas endodontalis (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Syphilis (microbiology, veterinary)
• Treponema pallidum (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Treponemal Infections (microbiology, veterinary)
• United Kingdom