Distribution of <i>Treponema</i> Species in Active Digital Dermatitis Lesions and Non-Lesional Skin of Dairy Cattle

This study examined the prevalence, distribution, and detection methods linked to <i>Treponema</i> species associated with active bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in dairy cattle. Tissue, surface swabs, interdigital space swabs, and faecal samples were collected from 20 Holstein-Friesian...

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Main Authors: Simona Mekková, Miriam Sondorová, Natália Šurín Hudáková, Viera Karaffová, Marián Maďar, Pavel Gomulec, Pavol Mudroň
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Microbiology Research
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7481/16/6/119
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Summary:This study examined the prevalence, distribution, and detection methods linked to <i>Treponema</i> species associated with active bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in dairy cattle. Tissue, surface swabs, interdigital space swabs, and faecal samples were collected from 20 Holstein-Friesian cows from a farm in Eastern Slovakia. Molecular analysis revealed that all cows tested positive for at least one <i>Treponema</i> species. The most prevalent species were <i>Treponema medium</i> (100%), <i>Treponema pedis</i> (95%), and <i>Treponema brennaborense</i> (75%). Distribution analysis demonstrated significant differences in the occurrence of these species across sampling methods, with <i>T. pedis</i> being more prevalent in tissue biopsies and surface swabs (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and <i>T. brennaborense</i> in surface swabs (<i>p</i> < 0.001). A comparison of qualitative real-time PCR and standard PCR revealed that real-time PCR detected <i>T. pedis</i> and <i>T. brennaborense</i> in 70% and 75% of tissue samples, respectively, while standard PCR failed to detect <i>T. brennaborense</i>. Furthermore, real-time PCR showed a significantly higher prevalence of <i>T. brennaborense</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.001). These findings underscore the enhanced sensitivity of real-time PCR in detecting <i>T. brennaborense</i> and highlight the complex distribution of <i>Treponema</i> species in BDD lesions, which may inform the development of more effective control strategies for BDD.
ISSN:2036-7481