Abstract
The prevalence of Treponema hyodysenteriae in faecal samples from healthy pigs of various ages in different farrowing units was investigated.
Samples from herds designated as Category I were processed within 2 hrs. of sampling. Samples from herds designated as Category II were transported 2 to 3 days before cultivation procedures started. T. hyodysenteriae was demonstrated in 53.7 % to 93 % of the samples collected from Category I herds. No marked difference in the frequency of positive samples from the various age groups of pigs was found. In Category II herds, the organism was demonstrated in 10 % of the samples.
The degree of beta-haemolysis shown by isolated strains was grouped into 3 groups: weak, moderate and strong. Strongly betahaemolytic strains, supposedly enteropathogenic, were demonstrated in all Category I herds. Such strains were found in 4.6 % to 25 % of the positive samples in these herds. In Category II herds, 2 out of 17 positive samples harboured strongly beta-haemolytic strains of T. hyodysenteriae.
The amount of growth of T. hyodysenteriae on primary plates inoculated with sample material originating from the 2 categories of herds was mostly moderate or abundant. Strongly beta-haemolytic isolates originating from Category I herds produced abundant growth on primary plates in approx. 60 % of samples harbouring such strains. In samples from Category I herds with strains producing weak or moderate beta-haemolysis sparse and moderate amount of growth of the organism was predominant.
Keywords: Τ. hyodysenteriae, prevalence, pig, pathogenicity
Sammendrag
Forekomsten av Treponema hyodysenteriae ble undersøkt i feces-prøver fra friske griser i ulike aldersgrupper og fra ulike besetninger. Prøvene fra kategori I besetninger ble undersøkt innen 2 timer etter prøveuttak mens prøver fra kategori II besetninger ble transportert 2 til 3 dager før undersøkelsen ble påbegynt. T. hyodysenteriae ble påvist i fra 53,7 % til 93 % av alle prøver innsamlet fra kategori I besetninger. Det kunne ikke påvises forskjell i frekvens av positive prøver i de ulike aldersgrupper. Fra kategori II besetninger ble T. hyodysenteriae påvist i 10 % av prøvene. De isolerte stammene produserte forskjeilig grad av beta-hemolyse. Denne ble inndelt i 3 kategorier: svak, moderat og sterk. Sterkt beta-hemolytiske stammer, som antas å være enteropatogene, ble påvist i alle besetningene tilhørende kategori I. Slike stammer ble funnet i fra 4,6 % til 25 % av de positive prøver fra disse besetninger. Fra besetninger tilhørende kategori II ble sterkt beta-hemolytiske stammer av T. hyodysenteriae påvist i 2 av 17 positive prøver.
Fra prøver fra begge kategorier besetninger var veksttetthet av T. hyodysenteriae på primærskålene oftest moderat eller rikelig. I ca. 60 % av prøvene fra kategori I besetningene med sterkt beta-hemolytiske isolater forekom rikelig veksttetthet på primærskålene. I prøver fra kategori I besetninger med stammer som ga svak eller moderat beta-hemolyse var sparsom og moderat veksttetthet oftest forekommende.
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Footnotes
The investigation was made possible by financial support from the Agricultural Research Council of Norway.
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