Presence of digital dermatitis treponemes on cattle and sheep hoof trimming equipment

Sullivan, L. E.; Blowey, Roger; Carter, Stuart; Duncan, Jennifer; Grove‐White, Dai; Page, Phillipa; Iveson, T.; Angell, Joseph W.; Evans, Nicholas J.

doi:10.1136/vr.102269

Cited by 49 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…All in all, the results do not indicate that the environmental slurry is a primary reservoir for DD-related treponemes. This leaves short-term persistence in slurry, direct skin-to-skin transmission from infected to uninfected feet, and transmission via hoof-trimming implements as the most plausible routes of infection for DD treponemes (6,24).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiota Analysis of an Environmental Slurry and Its Potential Role as a Reservoir of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Pathogens

Klitgaard

Strube

Isbrand

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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At present, very little information exists regarding what role the environmental slurry may play as an infection reservoir and/or route of transmission for bovine digital dermatitis (DD), a disease which is a global problem in dairy herds. To investigate whether DD-related bacteria belong to the indigenous microbiota of the dairy herd environment, we used deep amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in 135 slurry samples collected from different sites in 22 dairy farms, with and without DD-infected cows. Both the general bacterial populations and digital dermatitisassociated Treponema were targeted in this study. The results revealed significant differences in the bacterial communities between the herds, with only 12 bacterial taxa shared across at least 80% of all the individual samples. These differences in the herd microbiota appeared to reflect mainly between-herd variation. Not surprisingly, the slurry was dominated by ubiquitous gastrointestinal bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae. Despite the low relative abundance of spirochetes, which ranged from 0 to 0.6%, we were able to detect small amounts of bacterial DNA from DD-associated treponemes in the slurry. However, the DDassociated Treponema spp. were detected only in samples from herds with reported DD problems. These data indicate that treponemes involved in the pathogenesis of DD are not part of the normal environmental microflora in dairy herds without clinical DD and, consequently, that slurry is not a primary reservoir of infection.IMPORTANCE Bovine digital dermatitis (DD), a dermal disease which causes lameness in dairy cattle, is a serious problem worldwide. To control this disease, the infection reservoirs and transmission routes of DD pathogens need to be clarified. The dairy herd slurry may be a pathogen reservoir of DD-associated bacteria. The rationale for the present study was, therefore, to examine whether DD-associated bacteria are always present in slurry or if they are found only in DD-afflicted herds. The results strongly indicated that DD Treponema spp. are not part of the indigenous slurry and, therefore, do not comprise an infection reservoir in healthy herds. This study applied next-generation sequencing technology to decipher the microbial compositions of environmental slurry of dairy herds with and without digital dermatitis.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiota Analysis of an Environmental Slurry and Its Potential Role as a Reservoir of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Pathogens

Klitgaard

Strube

Isbrand

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Other routes of fomite‐associated transmission should be considered, including contact with contaminated equipment, as Treponema spp. has been identified on hoof knives and other trimming equipment (Rock et al., ; Sullivan et al., ). Transmission through insect vectors is not likely, as no vectors tested for the presence of Treponema spp.…”

Section: Transmissionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Missing pieces of the puzzle to effectively control digital dermatitis

Orsel

Plummer

Shearer

et al. 2017

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Since the first report of bovine digital dermatitis (DD) in 1974, there is a large body of the literature published; however, effective prevention and control of the disease remain elusive. Although many aspects of the pathogenesis of DD have been investigated, even some of the most basic questions such as the aetiology of this disease remain under debate. Treponema spp. have been strongly associated with DD lesions and occur in abundance in advanced lesions; however, efforts to induce disease with pure cultures of these organisms have been largely underwhelming and inconsistent. Furthermore, although the disease has been presented for several decades, there is limited scientific evidence regarding effective treatment of DD. Apparent discrepancies between effectiveness in vitro and in vivo have challenged the scientific community to identify new potential treatment options. With no treatment resulting in a 100% cure rate, the current expectation is manageable control, but prospects for the eradication of the disease are unlikely using current approaches. In order to develop more effective approaches to control DD on-farm, there is a critical need for a deeper understanding regarding the causation, ecology, transmission and treatment of this disease. In this article, we attempt to provide insights into specific research needs related to DD in order to assist the industry, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and research sponsors with decision-making and identified research gaps.

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“…The DD-associated treponemes are found in abundance in all DD lesions and are considered highly specific for DD lesions in both cattle and sheep, being undetectable in normal foot tissues. Current evidence suggests potential roles for the bovine gastrointestinal (GI) tract, manure and slurry, and hoof trimming equipment in the transmission of DD (13)(14)(15).…”

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confidence: 99%

Isolation of Digital Dermatitis Treponemes from Hoof Lesions in Wild North American Elk (Cervus elaphus) in Washington State, USA

et al. 2015

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c Since 2008, a large increase in the numbers of cases of lameness have been seen in wild North American elk (Cervus elaphus) from Washington State, USA. The most recent cases manifested as foot lesions similar both clinically and pathologically to those seen in digital dermatitis (DD) in cattle and sheep, a disease with a bacterial etiopathogenesis. To determine whether the same bacteria considered responsible for DD are associated with elk lameness, lesion samples were subjected to bacterial isolation studies and PCR assays for three phylogroups of relevant DD treponemes. The DD treponemes were isolated from lesional tissues but not from control feet or other areas of the diseased foot (including the coronary band or interdigital space), suggesting that the bacteria are strongly associated with DD lesions and may therefore be causal. In addition, PCR analysis revealed that all three unique DD treponeme phylotypes were found in elk hoof disease, and in 23% of samples, all 3 DD-associated treponemes were present in lesions. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that the elk lesion treponemes were phylogenetically almost identical to those isolated from cattle and sheep DD lesions. The isolates were particularly similar to two of the three culturable DD treponeme phylotypes: specifically, the Treponema medium/Treponema vincentii-like and Treponema phagedenislike DD spirochetes. The third treponeme culturable phylogroup (Treponema pedis), although detected by PCR, was not isolated. This is the first report describing isolation of DD treponemes from a wildlife host, suggesting that the disease may be evolving to include a wider spectrum of cloven-hoofed animals.

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Presence of digital dermatitis treponemes on cattle and sheep hoof trimming equipment

Cited by 49 publications

References 27 publications

Microbiota Analysis of an Environmental Slurry and Its Potential Role as a Reservoir of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Pathogens

Microbiota Analysis of an Environmental Slurry and Its Potential Role as a Reservoir of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Pathogens

Missing pieces of the puzzle to effectively control digital dermatitis

Isolation of Digital Dermatitis Treponemes from Hoof Lesions in Wild North American Elk (Cervus elaphus) in Washington State, USA

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