Isolation of Treponema hyodysenteriae from sources other than swine.
Fecal samples were collected from animals and environments on 3 swine farms and cultured for Treponema hyodysenteriae. Each farm was a farrow-to-finish operation and, at the time of sampling, swine dysentery was enzootic among 8- to 22-week-old pigs. Pathogenic T hyodysenteriae was isolated from pigs on all 3 farms. On farm A, nonpathogenic T hyodysenteriae was isolated from a sample of lagoon water. On farm B, pathogenic T hyodysenteriae was isolated from a waste-holding pit. On farm C, a dog was observed to be eating feces of pigs that had swine dysentery. The dog was diarrheic and a fecal sample yielded a pathogenic isolant of T hyodysenteriae. Further isolation attempts were unsuccessful after the dog was removed from the infected premises. Isolation of pathogenic and nonpathogenic organisms from waste-holding systems emphasizes the need for cultural techniques in detecting pathogenic T hyodysenteriae.
D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D013552:Swine; D014208:Treponema / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology