title: Experimental infection of conventional pigs with a 'Brachyspira hampsonii' isolate recovered from a migrating waterfowl in Spain.
abstract: 'Brachyspira hampsonii' is a recently proposed new species within the Brachyspira genus, which produces a dysentery-like disease in pigs. This study aims at investigating whether a 'B. hampsonii' isolate recovered from a migrating waterfowl was capable of colonizing pig intestines, inducing clinical signs of dysentery and being transmitted among pigs. Eleven 7-week-old pigs were randomly assigned into two separate groups which were orally administered an avian isolate of 'B. hampsonii' (inoculated group, n = 5) or BHI broth (control group, n = 6). After inoculation, three pigs from the control group were placed in the inoculated pen and served as sentinel pigs. Our results show the capacity of this avian 'B. hampsonii' isolate to colonize the large intestine of pigs and to be transmitted among pigs. According to this, migrating birds could play a role in the epidemiology of 'B. hampsonii' as a possible source of infection in swine populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León 24071, Spain. Electronic address: lallm@unileon.es.
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Aller-Morán
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León 24071, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Martínez-Lobo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León 24071, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León 24071, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carvajal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017400:Brachyspira / Q000502:physiology*; D004403:Dysentery / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005777:Geese / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000382:microbiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013030:Spain; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission
keywords: Migrating waterfowl; Pigs; Swine dysentery; ‘Brachyspira hampsonii’