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Roelofs L, Frössling J, Rosander A, Bjerketorp J, Belaghi RA, Hansson I, Frosth S. Digital dermatitis in Swedish dairy herds assessed by ELISA targeting Treponema phagedenis in bulk tank milk. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:168. [PMID: 38698418 PMCID: PMC11064309 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04021-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious hoof infection affecting cattle worldwide. The disease causes lameness and a reduction in animal welfare, which ultimately leads to major decreases in milk production in dairy cattle. The disease is most likely of polymicrobial origin with Treponema phagedenis and other Treponema spp. playing a key role; however, the etiology is not fully understood. Diagnosis of the disease is based on visual assessment of the feet by trained hoof-trimmers and veterinarians, as a more reliable diagnostic method is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on bulk tank milk samples testing for the presence of T. phagedenis antibodies as a proxy to assess herd prevalence of DD in Swedish dairy cattle herds. RESULTS Bulk tank milk samples were collected in 2013 from 612 dairy herds spread across Sweden. A nationwide DD apparent prevalence of 11.9% (8.1-14.4% CI95%) was found, with the highest proportion of test-positive herds in the South Swedish regions (31.3%; 19.9-42.4% CI95%). CONCLUSIONS This study reveals an underestimation of DD prevalence based on test results compared to hoof trimming data, highlighting the critical need for a reliable and accurate diagnostic method. Such a method is essential for disease monitoring and the development of effective control strategies. The novelty of ELISA-based diagnostic methods for DD, coupled with the disease's polymicrobial origin, suggests an avenue for improvement. Developing an expanded ELISA, incorporating antigens from various bacterial species implicated in the disease, could enhance diagnostic accuracy. The significance of this study is underscored by the extensive analysis of a substantial sample size (612). Notably, this investigation stands as the largest assessment to date, evaluating the application of ELISA on bulk tank milk for DD diagnosis at the herd level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lex Roelofs
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden.
| | - Jenny Frössling
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 234, Skara, 532 23, Sweden
- Department of Epidemiology, Surveillance and Risk Assessment, Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA), Uppsala, 751 89, Sweden
| | - Anna Rosander
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Joakim Bjerketorp
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Reza Arabi Belaghi
- Department of Energy and Technology, Unit of Applied Statistics and Mathematics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7032, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Hansson
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Sara Frosth
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7023, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
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Holzhauer M, Mars J, Holstege M, van der Heijden H. An In-House ELISA for Treponema Antibodies in Bulk Milk as Part of a Monitoring Tool for Claw Health in Dairy Herds. Vet Sci 2023; 10:571. [PMID: 37756093 PMCID: PMC10537149 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10090571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is a painful inflammation at the coronary band of the claws, a major cause of lameness in cattle and associated with infections with several Treponema spp. Clinical inspection of the feet is the best way to diagnose DD, but this is laborious and stressful for cattle. A simple diagnostic tool was developed to monitor DD prevalence at the herd level. An antibody ELISA based on antigens from four different Treponema spp. has been developed and validated in two field studies. In one study, bulk milk and individual milk samples of seven dairy herds, of which clinical claw scores were obtained, were tested. In the second study, bulk milk was tested from 110 herds of which clinical scores were obtained. A weak correlation between clinical scores of cows and the ELISA results in individual milk samples was observed. The ELISA response in bulk milk was higher in herds with higher mean clinical scores. Using the ELISA results in bulk milk, herds with a low or high proportion of cattle with DD lesions could be distinguished. This ELISA is useful to obtain insight into the DD status at the herd level, and is nowadays being used in a claw health monitoring program for dairy cattle in the Netherlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno Holzhauer
- Bovine Health Department, Royal GD Animal Health, P.O. Box 9 7400 AA Deventer, The Netherlands
| | - Jet Mars
- R&D Department, Laboratory, Royal GD Animal Health, P.O. Box 9 7400 AA Deventer, The Netherlands
| | - Manon Holstege
- Epidemiology and Statistics Department, Royal GD Animal Health, P.O. Box 9 7400 AA Deventer, The Netherlands
| | - Harold van der Heijden
- R&D Department, Laboratory, Royal GD Animal Health, P.O. Box 9 7400 AA Deventer, The Netherlands
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3
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Oelschlaegel D, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Kopke G, Jungnickel R, Waurich B, Rosner F, Döpfer D, Brenig B, Swalve HH. Functional Variants Associated With CMPK2 and in ASB16 Influence Bovine Digital Dermatitis. Front Genet 2022; 13:859595. [PMID: 35832195 PMCID: PMC9271848 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.859595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is an infectious disease of the hoof in cattle with multifactorial etiology and a polygenic influence on susceptibility. With our study, we identified genomic regions with the impact on occurrence and development of BDD. We used 5,040 genotyped animals with phenotype information based on the M-stage system for genome-wide association. Significant associations for single-nucleotide polymorphisms were found near genes CMPK2 (chromosome 11) and ASB16 (chromosome 19) both being implicated in immunological processes. A sequence analysis of the chromosomal regions revealed rs208894039 and rs109521151 polymorphisms as having significant influence on susceptibility to the disease. Specific genotypes were significantly more likely to be affected by BDD and developed chronic lesions. Our study provides an insight into the genomic background for a genetic predisposition related to the pathogenesis of BDD. Results might be implemented in cattle-breeding programs and could pave the way for the establishment of a BDD prescreening test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Oelschlaegel
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Monika Wensch-Dorendorf
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Grit Kopke
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Roswitha Jungnickel
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Benno Waurich
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Frank Rosner
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Dörte Döpfer
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Bertram Brenig
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hermann H. Swalve
- Group Animal Breeding, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- *Correspondence: Hermann H. Swalve,
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Wilson-Welder JH, Mansfield K, Han S, Bayles DO, Alt DP, Olsen SC. Lesion Material From Treponema-Associated Hoof Disease of Wild Elk Induces Disease Pathology in the Sheep Digital Dermatitis Model. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:782149. [PMID: 35097043 PMCID: PMC8790030 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.782149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A hoof disease among wild elk (Cervus elaphus) in the western United States has been reported since 2008. Now present in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California, this hoof disease continues to spread among elk herds suggesting an infectious etiology. Causing severe lesions at the hoof-skin junction, lesions can penetrate the hoof-horn structure causing severe lameness, misshapen hooves, and in some cases, sloughed hooves leaving the elk prone to infection, malnutrition, and premature death. Isolated to the feet, this disease has been termed treponeme-associated hoof disease due to the numerous Treponema spp. found within lesions. In addition to the Treponema spp., treponeme-associated hoof disease shares many similarities with digital dermatitis of cattle and livestock including association with several groups of anaerobic bacteria such as Bacteroides, Clostridia, and Fusobacterium, neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate, and restriction of the disease to the foot and hoof tissues. To determine if there was a transmissible infectious component to this disease syndrome, elk lesion homogenate was used in a sheep model of digital dermatitis. Ten animals were inoculated with lesion material and lesion development was followed over 7 weeks. Most inoculated feet developed moderate to severe lesions at 2- or 4-weeks post-inoculation timepoints, with 16 of 18 feet at 4 weeks also had spirochetes associated within the lesions. Histopathology demonstrated spirochetes at the invading edge of the lesions along with other hallmarks of elk hoof disease, neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrates, and keratinocyte erosion. Treponema-specific PCR demonstrated three phylotypes associated with elk hoof disease and digital dermatitis were present. Serum of infected sheep had increased anti-Treponema IgG when compared to negative control sheep and pre-exposure samples. Analysis of the bacterial microbiome by sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed a community structure in sheep lesions that was highly similar to the elk lesion homogenate used as inoculum. Bacteroidies, Fusobacterium, and Clostridia were among the bacterial taxa overrepresented in infected samples as compared to negative control samples. In conclusion, there is a highly transmissible, infectious bacterial component to elk treponeme-associated hoof disease which includes several species of Treponema as well as other bacteria previously associated with digital dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H. Wilson-Welder
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ames, IA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jennifer H. Wilson-Welder
| | - Kristin Mansfield
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Valley, WA, United States
| | - Sushan Han
- Colorado State University Diagnostic Medicine Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Darrell O. Bayles
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ames, IA, United States
| | - David P. Alt
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ames, IA, United States
| | - Steven C. Olsen
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ames, IA, United States
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Afonso JS, Oikonomou G, Carter S, Clough HE, Griffiths BE, Rushton J. Diagnosis of Bovine Digital Dermatitis: Exploring the Usefulness of Indirect ELISA. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:728691. [PMID: 34790712 PMCID: PMC8591176 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.728691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The precision by which animal diseases are diagnosed affects our ability to make informed decisions with regards to animal health management, from a clinical and economic perspective. Lameness is a major health condition in dairy cattle. The underlying causes of lameness include bovine digital dermatitis (BDD), which is reported as one of the main causes of infectious lameness in dairy cattle. Presently, the gold standard for BDD diagnosis in dairy cattle is visual inspection of lifted hooves-a labour intensive and subjective method. Research has suggested that Treponema spp. are the main pathogens associated with the establishment of BDD. We explored the potential of indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a diagnostic serological tool in the identification of cows at different stages of BDD. Additionally, we evaluated the predictive power of this diagnostic tool on the future occurrence of BDD lesions. A total of 232 cows from three farms were used in the study. Serum samples and hoof health data were collected at three time points: ~ 30 days pre-calving, around calving, and approximately 30 days post-calving. The mean absorbance from the ELISA test was compared across different clinical presentations of BDD as assessed by visual inspection of the hooves according to the M-stage classification system. A transition model was developed to estimate the probability of lesion occurrence in time t + 1 based on the spectrophotometer (absorbance) reading in time t. The mean absorbance reading for both IgG1 and IgG2 anti-Treponema antibodies was associated with disease presence-apart from M4.1 lesions, animals with no lesions had a lower mean when compared to animals with lesions regardless of the score. Additionally, the mean absorbance reading of animals with active lesions was higher when compared to animals with no lesions. However, the anti-Treponema antibody assays failed to identify disease presence in a consistent manner. Moreover, indirect ELISA readings were not a predictor of the future occurrence of BDD lesions. In conclusion, although the levels anti-Treponema antibodies were associated with disease presence, the ELISA test failed to detect disease unequivocally and had no predictive value in the future occurrence of BDD lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Sucena Afonso
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Oikonomou
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Carter
- Department of Infection Biology & Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helen E Clough
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany E Griffiths
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Rushton
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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6
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El-Shafaey ES, Hamed MA, Elfadl EA, Gomaa NA, Rizk MA. Phenytoin: A promising non-antibiotic drug for the topical treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cows. Vet World 2021; 14:2907-2912. [PMID: 35017837 PMCID: PMC8743774 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2907-2912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: Digital dermatitis (DD) is one of the most common causes of lameness in dairy cattle. It is seen in nearly all dairy herds across the world and has substantial welfare and economic implications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of phenytoin sodium topical treatment on painful ulcerative stage of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD). Materials and Methods: In total, 45 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows with DD were randomly assigned to one of the three topical treatment trials (15 each): Saline solution (first treatment, negative control), chlortetracycline spray (second treatment, positive control), or phenytoin sodium powder (third treatment, positive control) (third treatment). On day 0 (pre-treatment) and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-treatment, the response of DD-affected cows to the medications used was evaluated by measuring lesion depth and size, as well as the total clinical score (lameness, pain, and discomfort). Results: The cure rate in cows treated with phenytoin (86.66%) on day 28 was significantly improved compared to cows treated with either chlortetracycline (60%) or normal saline (6.66 %). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the superiority of phenytoin over the commonly used antibacterial agent, chlortetracycline, in the topical treatment of BDD, and subsequently suggest that phenytoin should be considered a suitable alternative treatment option for the treatment of BDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Sayed El-Shafaey
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A. Hamed
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Eman Abo Elfadl
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Development of Animal Wealth, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Naglaa A. Gomaa
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
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7
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Holmøy IH, Ahlén L, Frössling J, Sølverød L, Holzhauer M, Nødtvedt A, Fjeldaas T. Evaluation of test characteristics of 2 ELISA tests applied to bulk tank milk and claw-trimming records for herd-level diagnosis of bovine digital dermatitis using latent class analysis. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:10111-10120. [PMID: 34127267 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is an infectious claw disease with a negative effect on animal welfare and production. Treponema spp. is the main causative agent, and infected animals produce specific antibodies. Our aim was to estimate sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of 2 ELISA research tests, Medicago's ELISA test and GD Animal Health's in-house ELISA test, for detection of DD-associated Treponema antibodies in bulk tank milk. We used bulk tank milk samples from 154 Norwegian dairy cattle herds, 96 from an expected high-prevalence region and 58 from a low-prevalence region. Both tests were evaluated separately against herd-level (aggregated) claw-trimming records extracted from the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System using latent class models in a Bayesian analysis. Cutoff values were selected using an explorative approach, and both noninformative priors for all parameters and informative β priors for distribution of Se and Sp of claw trimming were explored. The estimated (median) true herd-level prevalence of digital dermatitis varied between 24 and 30% in the high-prevalence region and between 3 and 6% in the low-prevalence region. For Medicago's ELISA test, an Se (95% posterior credible interval) of 0.57 (0.32; 0.94) could be achieved without compromising Sp, and for GD Animal Health's in-house ELISA test, an Se of 0.60 (0.37; 0.92) was achieved. Our study showed that both ELISA tests can detect antibodies against DD-associated Treponema spp. in bulk tank milk. However, neither of the 2 ELISA tests produced satisfactory sensitivity without compromising specificity. Based on these results, inspection at claw trimming in a chute is necessary for surveillance and control of DD at the herd level in Norway, although these ELISA tests of bulk tank milk might be a useful supplement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid H Holmøy
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0102 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Lina Ahlén
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0102 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jenny Frössling
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), SE-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden
| | | | - Menno Holzhauer
- GD Animal Health, PO Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer, the Netherlands
| | - Ane Nødtvedt
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0102 Oslo, Norway
| | - Terje Fjeldaas
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, N-0102 Oslo, Norway
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Belyakova N, Kovalenko A, Bodrova Y, Oskolskaya V. Recent achievements in the field of research of pathogens and methods of treatment and prevention of Mortellaro Disease. BIO WEB OF CONFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1051/bioconf/20213006001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the course of research on the search for substances active in the fight against Mortellaro’s disease, a drug for the treatment and prevention of skin and skin diseases was developed and tested on the basis of zinc and copper metals immersed in the niosomal structures with the addition of Dimethicone copolyol. These components were selected as proven antiseptic. The therapeutic effect was compared at different concentrations of metals in the drug. Practical experiments have shown a high therapeutic effectiveness of the received drug for the treatment of skin and skin diseases of animals, including Mortellaro disease.
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9
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Aubineau T, Relun A, Gentin B, Guatteo R. Short communication: Informative value of an ELISA applied to bulk tank milk to assess within-herd prevalence of digital dermatitis in dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2020; 104:963-968. [PMID: 33162093 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess whether an antibody ELISA applied to bulk tank milk (BTM) could be used to accurately estimate within-herd prevalence of digital dermatitis (DD). The ELISA was designed for the detection of antibodies against Treponema phagedenis-like strain V1 (PrrA antigen). The hind feet of all lactating cows from 40 commercial French dairy herds with a history of DD were scored by an observer in the milking parlor, using the 4 M-stage system. After milking, a BTM sample was collected and tested for anti-Treponema phagedenis-like antibodies using the antibody ELISA. Within-herd DD prevalence at the cow level was determined using 2 different approaches: (1) having DD lesion on at least 1 hind foot (Prev; prevalence of affected cows), and (2) having an M1 or M2 lesion on at least 1 hind foot (PrevA; prevalence of cows affected by DD in an active stage). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine both optimal within-herd DD prevalence and BTM sample to positive (S/P) ratio cut-off values. Two optimal cut-off values were identified. Herds with an S/P ratio of BTM ≤0.2 had a Prev ≤10% (sensitivity = 0.97, specificity = 1), whereas herds with an S/P ratio of BTM >0.38 had a Prev >40% (sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 0.86). In the same way but with a slightly lower specificity, an S/P ratio >0.38 corresponds also to a PrevA >18% (sensitivity = 0.92, specificity = 0.70). The BTM antibody ELISA shows great promise for screening purposes during DD management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Relun
- BIOEPAR, INRAE, Oniris, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - B Gentin
- BIOSELLAL, 69000, Dardilly, France
| | - R Guatteo
- BIOEPAR, INRAE, Oniris, 44307, Nantes, France
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10
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Putative β-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins of the Bovine Digital Dermatitis-Associated Treponemes: Identification, Functional Characterization, and Immunogenicity. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00050-20. [PMID: 32122940 PMCID: PMC7171239 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00050-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD), an infectious disease of the bovine foot with a predominant treponemal etiology, is a leading cause of lameness in dairy and beef herds worldwide. BDD is poorly responsive to antimicrobial therapy and exhibits a relapsing clinical course; an effective vaccine is therefore urgently sought. Using a reverse vaccinology approach, the present study surveyed the genomes of the three BDD-associated Treponema phylogroups for putative β-barrel outer membrane proteins and considered their potential as vaccine candidates. Selection criteria included the presence of a signal peptidase I cleavage site, a predicted β-barrel fold, and cross-phylogroup homology. Four candidate genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), refolded, and purified. Consistent with their classification as β-barrel OMPs, circular-dichroism spectroscopy revealed the adoption of a predominantly β-sheet secondary structure. These recombinant proteins, when screened for their ability to adhere to immobilized extracellular matrix (ECM) components, exhibited a diverse range of ligand specificities. All four proteins specifically and dose dependently adhered to bovine fibrinogen. One recombinant protein was identified as a candidate diagnostic antigen (disease specificity, 75%). Finally, when adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide and administered to BDD-naive calves using a prime-boost vaccination protocol, these proteins were immunogenic, eliciting specific IgG antibodies. In summary, we present the description of four putative treponemal β-barrel OMPs that exhibit the characteristics of multispecific adhesins. The observed interactions with fibrinogen may be critical to host colonization and it is hypothesized that vaccination-induced antibody blockade of these interactions will impede treponemal virulence and thus be of therapeutic value.
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11
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Watts KM, Lahiri P, Arrazuria R, De Buck J, Knight CG, Orsel K, Barkema HW, Cobo ER. Oxytetracycline reduces inflammation and treponeme burden whereas vitamin D 3 promotes β-defensin expression in bovine infectious digital dermatitis. Cell Tissue Res 2019; 379:337-348. [PMID: 31410630 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-019-03082-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD), a common ulcerative disease of the bovine foot causing lameness and reducing productivity and animal welfare, is associated with infection by spirochete Treponema bacteria. Topical tetracycline, the most common treatment, has inconsistent cure rates; therefore, new therapeutic options are needed. We compared effects of topical oxytetracycline and vitamin D3 on innate immunity in DD-affected skin. Cows with active DD lesions were treated topically with oxytetracycline or vitamin D3 and skin biopsies were collected from lesions. Tissue samples were examined histologically, transcriptional expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and host defense peptides assessed, and the presence of specific treponeme species determined. Effects of treatments at a mechanistic level were studied in a human keratinocyte model of treponeme infection. Oxytetracycline promoted hyperplastic scab formation in ulcerated DD lesions and decreased transcriptional expression of Cxcl-8 (neutrophil chemoattractant). Oxytetracycline also reduced numbers of Treponema phagedenis and T. pedis and enhanced Tlr2 mRNA expression. Vitamin D3 did not modify expression of cytokines or Tlrs, or bacterial loads, but enhanced transcription of tracheal antimicrobial peptide (Tap), a key bovine β-defensin. Combing oxytetracycline and vitamin D3 provides complementary clinical benefits in controlling DD through a combination of antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and pro-healing activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Watts
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Priyoshi Lahiri
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Rakel Arrazuria
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jeroen De Buck
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Cameron G Knight
- Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Karin Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Herman W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Eduardo R Cobo
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, HSC 2519, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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12
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Demirkan I, Erdoğan M, Demirkan AÇ, Bozkurt F, Altındiş M, Navruz FZ, Köse Z. Isolation and identification of Treponema pedis and Treponema phagedenis-like organisms from bovine digital dermatitis lesions found in dairy cattle in Turkey. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:10317-10326. [PMID: 30219415 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-14227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The isolation and identification of microorganisms associated with digital dermatitis (DD) in Turkish dairy cattle was investigated using punch skin biopsy samples from typical clinical lesions; they were collected from dairy farms and abattoirs in 5 different geographical locations in Turkey. Morphological characteristics and flagellation types were examined using a transmission electron microscope, and their enzyme profiles by enzyme activation kits; their catalase reaction characteristics were evaluated by the addition of 3% H2O2. Their phylogenies were identified using 16S rRNA and the results compared with known gene bank data. Bacterial cells were 5.0 to 18.2 µm long, 0.2 to 0.5 µm wide, and their minimum number of periplasmic flagellum was 4 (4:8:4) with a maximum of 8 (8:16:8). All isolates were catalase negative. Of the spirochetes isolated and identified, group I organisms showed close similarity with Treponema pedis (99% genetic homology), whereas those in group II were similar to Treponema phagedenis (98% homology). This is the first report of specific sub-groups of Treponema spp., isolated from Turkish dairy cattle presenting with DD lesions, being associated with this disease; these morphotypes were similar to those found globally in housed dairy cattle units and are probably significant microorganisms associated with the aetiopathogensis of this infectious disease causing acute bovine lameness. These results suggest that the distribution of DD-associated treponemes is not specific to particular geographic regions of Turkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Demirkan
- Department of Surgery, Afyon, 03200, Turkey.
| | - M Erdoğan
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Afyon, 03200, Turkey
| | | | - F Bozkurt
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, 03200, Turkey
| | - M Altındiş
- Department of Clinical Virology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Sakarya University, Sakarya, 54200, Turkey
| | - F Zemheri Navruz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Bartin University, Bartin, 74100, Turkey
| | - Z Köse
- Laboratory of Diagnostics and Analysis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, 03200, Turkey
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13
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Wilson-Welder JH, Nally JE, Alt DP, Humphrey SB, Olsen SC. Short communication: Lymphocyte proliferative responses in cattle naturally infected with digital dermatitis consist of CD8+ and γδ-T cells but lack CD4+ T cells. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:8301-8307. [PMID: 29908808 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis is an infectious disease of cattle and the leading cause of lameness. This disease is complicated by the reoccurrence of the lesions and the observation of lesions on more than one limb at different time points, indicating infection may not result in a protective immune response. The objective of this study was to characterize the peripheral blood cellular response in naturally infected and naïve cattle to bacterial antigens derived from pathogens associated with digital dermatitis lesions. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from dairy cattle identified as having active or chronic lesions during routine hoof-trimming. Following bacterial antigen stimulation, cells were analyzed for proliferation and phenotype by flow cytometry, and culture supernatants were analyzed for IFN-γ secretion. Digital-dermatitis-infected animals had greater serum antibody titers to treponemal antigens, higher percentages of proliferating CD8+, γδ-T cells, and B cells, and increased IFN-γ secretion in vitro when compared with responses of naïve animals. No increase in proliferation of CD4+ T cells was detected in infected or naïve cattle. Although CD8+ and γδ-T cell responses may be antigen specific, the memory nature or long-lived response is yet unknown. The lack of responsiveness of CD4+ memory cells to treponemal antigens could explain the high rate of reoccurrence of digital dermatitis in infected animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Wilson-Welder
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases, National Animal Disease Center, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Ames, IA 50010.
| | - Jarlath E Nally
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases, National Animal Disease Center, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Ames, IA 50010
| | - David P Alt
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases, National Animal Disease Center, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Ames, IA 50010
| | - Samuel B Humphrey
- Microscopy Services, National Animal Disease Center, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Ames, IA 50010
| | - Steven C Olsen
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases, National Animal Disease Center, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Ames, IA 50010
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14
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Orsel K, Plummer P, Shearer J, De Buck J, Carter SD, Guatteo R, Barkema HW. Missing pieces of the puzzle to effectively control digital dermatitis. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65 Suppl 1:186-198. [PMID: 29124910 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - P Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA.,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA
| | - J Shearer
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA
| | - J De Buck
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - S D Carter
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Guatteo
- BIOEPAR, INRA, Oniris, Nantes, France
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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15
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Frössling J, Rosander A, Björkman C, Näslund K, Pringle M. Detection of Treponema phagedenis-like antibodies in serum and bulk milk from cows with and without digital dermatitis. J Vet Diagn Invest 2017; 30:86-92. [PMID: 28985709 DOI: 10.1177/1040638717733778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) in dairy cows is a widespread disease linked to infection with Treponema. The traditional diagnostic method is clinical inspection, which is subjective and laborious. We explored the performance of 4 different immunogenic proteins from Treponema phagedenis in a new antibody ELISA for analysis of serum or milk. Analysis of samples from 390 cows in 25 herds showed that the ELISA could distinguish the majority of cows with DD from healthy cows. By changing the cutoff and applying parallel or serial testing, high sensitivity or specificity could be achieved. The investigation indicated that aggregated test results can be useful in the assessment of a herd's DD status. In addition, analysis of bulk tank milk samples showed good agreement with results from individual cows. The test system could be useful in research on the epidemiology and immunology of DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Frössling
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden (Frössling).,Departments of Disease Control and Epidemiology (Frössling), Microbiology (Näslund), and Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies (Pringle), National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (Rosander) and Clinical Sciences (Björkman), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Rosander
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden (Frössling).,Departments of Disease Control and Epidemiology (Frössling), Microbiology (Näslund), and Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies (Pringle), National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (Rosander) and Clinical Sciences (Björkman), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Camilla Björkman
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden (Frössling).,Departments of Disease Control and Epidemiology (Frössling), Microbiology (Näslund), and Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies (Pringle), National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (Rosander) and Clinical Sciences (Björkman), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katarina Näslund
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden (Frössling).,Departments of Disease Control and Epidemiology (Frössling), Microbiology (Näslund), and Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies (Pringle), National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (Rosander) and Clinical Sciences (Björkman), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Märit Pringle
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden (Frössling).,Departments of Disease Control and Epidemiology (Frössling), Microbiology (Näslund), and Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies (Pringle), National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.,Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (Rosander) and Clinical Sciences (Björkman), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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16
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Jacobs C, Orsel K, Barkema HW. Prevalence of digital dermatitis in young stock in Alberta, Canada, using pen walks. J Dairy Sci 2017; 100:9234-9244. [PMID: 28865852 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD), an infectious bacterial foot lesion prevalent in dairy cattle worldwide, reduces both animal welfare and production. This disease was recently identified in replacement dairy heifers, with implications including increased risk of DD and decreased milk production in first lactation, poor reproductive performance, and altered hoof conformation. Therefore, a simple and effective method is needed to identify DD in young stock and to determine risk factors for DD in this group so that effective control strategies can be implemented. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine prevalence of DD in young stock (based on pen walks); and (2) identify potential risk factors for DD in young stock. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 28 dairy farms in Alberta, Canada; pen walks were used to identify DD (present/absent) on the hind feet of group-housed, young dairy stock. A subset of 583 young stock on 5 farms were selected for chute inspection of feet to determine the accuracy of pen walks for DD detection. Pen walks as a means of identifying DD lesions on the hind feet in young stock had sensitivity and specificity at the animal level of 65 and 98%, with positive and negative predictive values of 94 and 83%, respectively, at a prevalence of 37%. At the foot level, pen walks had sensitivity and specificity of 62 and 98%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 92 and 88%, respectively, at a prevalence of 26%. Pen walks identified DD in 79 [2.9%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.3-3.6%] of 2,815 young stock on 11 (39%; 95% CI: 22-59%) of 28 farms, with all 79 DD-positive young stock ≥309 d of age. Apparent within-herd prevalence estimates ranged from 0 to 9.3%, with a mean of 1.4%. True within-herd prevalence of DD in young stock, calculated using the sensitivity and specificity of the pen walks, ranged from 0 to 12.6%, with a mean of 1.4%. On the 11 DD-positive farms, the proportion of young stock >12 mo of age with DD lesions was 9.9% (95% CI: 7.8-12.0%). Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess associations with potential risk factors for DD lesions, including age, leg cleanliness, and lactating herd DD prevalence. Presence of DD in young stock increased as their age increased and was associated with increased prevalence of DD in the lactating herd. Pen walks can be used to identify specific young stock with DD or groups where management practices can be implemented to prevent disease proliferation and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jacobs
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1.
| | - K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
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17
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Solano L, Barkema HW, Pickel C, Orsel K. Effectiveness of a standardized footbath protocol for prevention of digital dermatitis. J Dairy Sci 2016; 100:1295-1307. [PMID: 27939539 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-11464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A footbath is the most common herd-level approach to control digital dermatitis (DD) in intensive dairy farming. However, wide variation in footbath design and protocols suggests a gap between evidence-based management practices and on-farm implementation. The objective was to evaluate effectiveness of a standardized footbath protocol in decreasing prevalence of active DD lesions in lactating dairy cattle. The protocol was based on current scientific literature, including footbath design and management. The M-stage classification system was used to score DD lesions. Scores were also combined into a simplified scoring system: no lesions (M0), active lesions (M1, M2, and M4.1), and chronic lesions (M3 and M4). A controlled intervention trial was conducted on 9 farms over 22 wk. Each farm served as its own control with data collected for 10 wk before and 12 wk after intervention. A total of 1,978 lactating cattle were assessed biweekly for DD lesions and leg cleanliness in the milking parlor. Lactating cattle were also inspected in the trimming chute at 3 time points: start, intervention, and end of trial. Intervention consisted of implementing an automated footbath that measured 3 m long, 0.50 m wide, held a fluid depth of 0.15 m, along with a weekly footbath protocol using 5% CuSO4 for 4 consecutive milkings, with footbath content replaced at a maximum of 200 cow passes. Multilevel logistic regression models for repeated measures were used to evaluate effects of the standardized footbath protocol in preventing active DD lesions. For the purpose of analysis, farms' within-herd prevalence of active DD lesions (at baseline) was assessed and categorized as low (<15%) or high (≥15%). Farms with low or high within-herd prevalence of active DD lesions at trial outset had a mean cow-level prevalence of active DD lesions of 8% (range, 2 to 13) and 31% (range, 18 to 43), respectively. At milking parlor inspections, apparent prevalence of active DD lesions decreased from the time of footbath intervention, but this effect interacted with the farms' baseline prevalence of active DD lesions. In that regard, on farms with high prevalence of active DD at baseline, apparent prevalence of active DD lesions decreased after intervention, whereas on farms with low prevalence of active DD at baseline, apparent prevalence of active DD lesions did not change. At the cow level, poor leg cleanliness was associated with higher prevalence of active DD lesions. At trimming chute inspections, prevalence of active DD lesions decreased from start to the end of the trial (22 and 14%, respectively); concurrently, prevalence of feet with no DD lesions (M0) increased (39 and 48%). We concluded that on farms with high DD prevalence, implementation of proper footbath design and improvement of footbathing management will decrease prevalence of active DD lesions and increase prevalence of feet without DD lesions. In addition, improving cow cleanliness will further result in control of active DD lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Solano
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1.
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - C Pickel
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
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18
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Solano L, Barkema HW, Jacobs C, Orsel K. Validation of the M-stage scoring system for digital dermatitis on dairy cows in the milking parlor. J Dairy Sci 2016; 100:1592-1603. [PMID: 27889123 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-11365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A high prevalence of digital dermatitis (DD) and the benefits of early topical treatment highlight the need for simple tools for routine DD detection. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of scoring DD lesions using the 5 M-stage scoring system in the milking parlor compared with the trimming chute as the gold standard. Three observers inspected 3,585 cows and 6,991 hind feet from 9 farms in the milking parlor using a mirror (glued to a plastic kitchen spatula) and a headlamp, followed by inspection in a trimming chute within 5 d. Interobserver agreement for scoring DD in various settings was ≥82% (kappa >0.74; weighted kappa >0.76). At trimming chute inspections, 68% of cows had at least 1 DD lesion, 19% had 1 hind leg affected, and 49% had both hind legs affected. Within-herd DD prevalence ranged from 16 to 81% of cows affected. True within-herd prevalence was 2, 6, 0, 36, and 14% for M1, M2, M3, M4, and M4.1 lesions, respectively. At the foot level, DD prevalence was the same (58%) in the milking parlor and trimming chute inspection, but distribution of M-stages differed. Milking parlor inspection as a means of identifying the presence of DD lesions had a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 88%, with positive and negative predictive values of 91 and 89%, respectively. Agreement between milking parlor and trimming chute inspections was 73% (kappa = 0.59, weighted kappa = 0.65) for the 5 M-stage scoring system and 90% (kappa = 0.80) if only the presence of a lesion was noted. Test characteristics varied greatly among M-stages, with the highest sensitivity for detecting M4 (82%) and M2 (62%) lesions, and the lowest for detecting M4.1 (20%), M1 (7%), and M3 (0%) lesions. In the milking parlor, 20% of M2 lesions were misclassified as M4.1, 8% of M4 lesions were misclassified as M0, and 68% of M4.1 lesions were misclassified as M4. The majority (87%) of DD lesions were located between the heel bulbs; 10 and 2% of DD lesions affected the interdigital space and the front of the foot, respectively. The sensitivity to detect the presence of a lesion when it occurred between the heel bulbs was 93%, but <67% if it occurred elsewhere on the foot. We concluded that inspection of the rear feet in the milking parlor was an inexpensive and simple method of detecting and scoring DD lesions. If the objective is to determine herd-level DD prevalence and routine monitoring, this method was adequately reliable. However, if the objective is to follow up DD in cows with history of interdigital hyperplasia or to detect M1 or M4.1 lesions, this method was not sufficiently reliable. Although DD scoring in the milking parlor as a routine practice should facilitate early detection, prompt treatment interventions, and herd monitoring, it was not sufficiently reliable to replace definitive identification of M-stages in the trimming chute.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Solano
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - H W Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - C Jacobs
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - K Orsel
- Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
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19
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Tremblay M, Bennett T, Döpfer D. The DD Check App for prevention and control of digital dermatitis in dairy herds. Prev Vet Med 2016; 132:1-13. [PMID: 27664443 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is the most important infectious claw disease in the cattle industry causing outbreaks of lameness. The clinical course of disease can be classified using 5 clinical stages. M-stages represent not only different disease severities but also unique clinical characteristics and outcomes. Monitoring the proportions of cows per M-stage is needed to better understand and address DD and factors influencing risks of DD in a herd. Changes in the proportion of cows per M-stage over time or between groups may be attributed to differences in management, environment, or treatment and can have impact on the future claw health of the herd. Yet trends in claw health regarding DD are not intuitively noticed without statistical analysis of detailed records. Our specific aim was to develop a mobile application (app) for persons with less statistical training, experience or supporting programs that would standardize M-stage records, automate data analysis including trends of M-stages over time, the calculation of predictions and assignments of Cow Types (i.e., Cow Types I-III are assigned to cows without active lesions, single and repeated cases of active DD lesions, respectively). The predictions were the stationary distributions of transitions between DD states (i.e., M-stages or signs of chronicity) in a class-structured multi-state Markov chain population model commonly used to model endemic diseases. We hypothesized that the app can be used at different levels of record detail to discover significant trends in the prevalence of M-stages that help to make informed decisions to prevent and control DD on-farm. Four data sets were used to test the flexibility and value of the DD Check App. The app allows easy recording of M-stages in different environments and is flexible in terms of the users' goals and the level of detail used. Results show that this tool discovers trends in M-stage proportions, predicts potential outbreaks of DD, and makes comparisons among Cow Types, signs of chronicity, scorers or pens. The DD Check App also provides a list of cows that should be treated augmented by individual Cow Types to help guide treatment and determine prognoses. Producers can be proactive instead of reactive in controlling DD in a herd by using this app. The DD Check App serves as an example of how technology makes knowledge and advice of veterinary epidemiology widely available to monitor, control and prevent this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlène Tremblay
- Departments of Medical Sciences, Section of Food Animal Production Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706, United States.
| | - Tom Bennett
- Departments of Medical Sciences, Section of Food Animal Production Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706, United States
| | - Dörte Döpfer
- Departments of Medical Sciences, Section of Food Animal Production Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706, United States
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20
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Genetic analysis of a Treponema phagedenis locus encoding antigenic lipoproteins with potential for antigenic variation. Vet Microbiol 2016; 189:91-8. [PMID: 27259832 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2016.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is a painful and debilitating claw disease in cattle. Spirochetes of the genus Treponema are found in high numbers in the lesions and are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis. The occurrence of Treponema phagedenis in DD lesions, especially near the interface of healthy and diseased tissue, suggests that this species contributes to the development and/or progression of the lesions. In this study we characterized a genetic locus in T. phagedenis that contains coding regions for three antigenic proteins, PrrA, VpsA, and VpsB. Comparative analysis of homologous loci from fifteen strains suggests that prrA may be transposed into or out of this locus. Alterations in the copy number of TA repeats within the putative promoter region may regulate VpsA/B expression. The vpsA and prrA genes occur in allelic variants in different T. phagedenis isolates and may provide one explanation for the antigenic variation observed in T. phagedenis DD isolates.
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21
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Schöpke K, Gomez A, Dunbar KA, Swalve HH, Döpfer D. Investigating the genetic background of bovine digital dermatitis using improved definitions of clinical status. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:8164-74. [PMID: 26364113 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is an increasing claw health problem in all cattle production systems worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of an improved scoring of the clinical status for DD via M-scores accounting for the dynamics of the disease; that is, the transitions from one stage to another. The newly defined traits were then subjected to a genetic analysis to determine the genetic background for susceptibility to DD. Data consisted of 6,444 clinical observations from 729 Holstein heifers in a commercial dairy herd, collected applying the M-score system. The M-score system is a classification scheme for stages of DD that allows a macroscopic scoring based on clinical inspections of the bovine foot, thus it describes the stages of lesion development. The M-scores were used to define new DD trait definitions with different complexities. Linear mixed models and logistic models were used to identify fixed environmental effects and to estimate variance components. In total, 68% of all observations showed no DD status, whereas 11% were scored as infectious for and affected by DD, and 21% of all observations exhibited an affected but noninfectious status. For all traits, the probability of occurrence and clinical status were associated with age at observation and period of observation. Risk of becoming infected increased with age, and month of observation significantly affected all traits. Identification of the optimal month concerning DD herd status was consistent for all trait definitions; the last month of the trial was identified. In contrast, months exhibiting the highest least squares means of transformed scores differed depending on trait definition. In this respect, traits that can distinguish between healthy, infectious, and noninfectious stages of DD can account for the infectious potential of the herd and can serve as an alert tool. Estimates of heritabilities of traits studied ranged between 0.19 (±0.11) and 0.52 (±0.17), revealing a tendency for higher values for more complex trait definitions. In terms of genetic selection, all trait definitions identified the best (i.e., most resistant) animals, but only the new trait definitions were able to distinguish between animals with average and high predispositions for DD. Considering repeated measurements resulted in heritability estimates ranging between 0.13 (±0.05) and 0.29 (±0.10).
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Affiliation(s)
- K Schöpke
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, University of Halle, 06099 Halle, Germany
| | - A Gomez
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
| | - K A Dunbar
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
| | - H H Swalve
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, University of Halle, 06099 Halle, Germany.
| | - D Döpfer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison 53706-1102
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22
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Zinicola M, Higgins H, Lima S, Machado V, Guard C, Bicalho R. Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing Reveals Functional Genes and Microbiome Associated with Bovine Digital Dermatitis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133674. [PMID: 26193110 PMCID: PMC4508036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic methods amplifying 16S ribosomal RNA genes have been used to describe the microbial diversity of healthy skin and lesion stages of bovine digital dermatitis (DD) and to detect critical pathogens involved with disease pathogenesis. In this study, we characterized the microbiome and for the first time, the composition of functional genes of healthy skin (HS), active (ADD) and inactive (IDD) lesion stages using a whole-genome shotgun approach. Metagenomic sequences were annotated using MG-RAST pipeline. Six phyla were identified as the most abundant. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were the predominant bacterial phyla in the microbiome of HS, while Spirochetes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were highly abundant in ADD and IDD. T. denticola-like, T. vincentii-like and T. phagedenis-like constituted the most abundant species in ADD and IDD. Recruitment plots comparing sequences from HS, ADD and IDD samples to the genomes of specific Treponema spp., supported the presence of T. denticola and T. vincentii in ADD and IDD. Comparison of the functional composition of HS to ADD and IDD identified a significant difference in genes associated with motility/chemotaxis and iron acquisition/metabolism. We also provide evidence that the microbiome of ADD and IDD compared to that of HS had significantly higher abundance of genes associated with resistance to copper and zinc, which are commonly used in footbaths to prevent and control DD. In conclusion, the results from this study provide new insights into the HS, ADD and IDD microbiomes, improve our understanding of the disease pathogenesis and generate unprecedented knowledge regarding the functional genetic composition of the digital dermatitis microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Zinicola
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Hazel Higgins
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Svetlana Lima
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Vinicius Machado
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Charles Guard
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Rodrigo Bicalho
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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Palmer MA, O'Connell NE. Digital Dermatitis in Dairy Cows: A Review of Risk Factors and Potential Sources of Between-Animal Variation in Susceptibility. Animals (Basel) 2015; 5:512-35. [PMID: 26479371 PMCID: PMC4598691 DOI: 10.3390/ani5030369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dairy cow lameness is a major problem for the industry, causing reduced animal welfare and economic loss. Digital dermatitis (DD) is a bacterial disease causing painful lesions, generally on the heels of the rear feet, and is an important cause of lameness. There appears to be individual variation between animals in susceptibility to this disease. Particular physical, physiological and behavioural factors might influence individual susceptibility, but further work is required to clarify the influence of these factors and to determine how this information could be used to develop breeding and management strategies to reduce DD prevalence. Abstract Digital dermatitis (DD) is a bacterial disease that primarily affects the skin on the heels of cattle. It is a major cause of lameness in dairy cows and a significant problem for the dairy industry in many countries, causing reduced animal welfare and economic loss. A wide range of infection levels has been found on infected farms, prompting investigations into both farm level and animal level risk factors for DD occurrence. There also appears to be individual variation between animals in susceptibility to the disease. The identification of factors affecting individual variation in susceptibility to DD might allow changes in breeding policies or herd management which could be used to reduce DD prevalence. Factors mentioned in the literature as possibly influencing individual variation in susceptibility to DD include physical factors such as hoof conformation and properties of the skin, physiological factors such as the efficacy of the immune response, and behavioural factors such as standing half in cubicles. Further work is required to determine the influence of these factors, identify the genetic basis of variation, clarify the level of heritability of DD susceptibility and to determine how this is correlated with production and health traits currently used in breeding programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeve A Palmer
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5BN, UK.
| | - Niamh E O'Connell
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 5BN, UK.
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24
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Mahendran S, Bell N. Lameness in cattle 2. Managing claw health through appropriate trimming techniques. IN PRACTICE 2015. [DOI: 10.1136/inp.h2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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25
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Gomez A, Cook NB, Socha MT, Döpfer D. First-lactation performance in cows affected by digital dermatitis during the rearing period. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:4487-98. [PMID: 25958279 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-9041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The long-term effects of prepartum digital dermatitis (DD) on first-lactation performance were evaluated in a cohort of 719 pregnant heifers. All heifers were followed for a period of 6 mo until calving and classified on the basis of the number of DD events diagnosed during this period as type I, type II, or type III (no DD, one DD event, and multiple DD events, respectively). Health during the initial 60d in milk (DIM), reproductive and hoof health outcomes, and milk production were compared between the 3 heifer type groups. All logistic and linear models were adjusted for age, height, and girth circumference at enrollment, and the type of trace mineral supplementation during the prepartum period. Overall, cows experiencing DD during the rearing period showed worse production and health outcomes compared with healthy heifers during the first lactation. The percentages of assisted calvings, stillbirths, culled before 60 DIM, and diseased cows during the fresh period were numerically higher in type III cows compared with type I cows. However, none of these differences were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Significantly lower conception at first service [odds ratio (OR)=0.55, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.33, 0.89] and increased number of days open (mean=24d, 95% CI: 5.2, 43) were observed in type III cows compared with type I cows. In relation to hoof health, a significantly increased risk of DD during the first lactation was found in type II and III cows (OR=5.16, 95% CI: 3.23, 8.29; and OR=12.5, 95% CI: 7.52, 21.1, respectively), as well as earlier occurrence of DD following calving (OR=59d, 95% CI=20, 96, and OR=74d, 95% CI: 37, 109). Compared with type I cows, statistically significant milk production losses during the initial 305 DIM of 199 and 335kg were estimated in type II and III cows, respectively. This difference was due to a greater rate of production decline (less persistence) after peak yield. No differences in monthly fat and protein percentages or somatic cell counts were observed between the heifer types. Given the long-term effects of DD on health, reproduction, and production, one of the priorities during the rearing period of dairy heifers should be efficient DD prevention and control programs. Such intensive intervention programs based on active long-term DD surveillance, mitigation of risk factors, and prompt treatment are expected to increase overall animal well-being and farm profitability by minimizing the effect of DD during the first lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gomez
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102.
| | - N B Cook
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
| | - M T Socha
- Zinpro Corporation, 10400 Viking Dr., Ste. 240, Eden Prairie, MN 55374
| | - D Döpfer
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706-1102
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26
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Wilson-Welder JH, Alt DP, Nally JE. The etiology of digital dermatitis in ruminants: recent perspectives. VETERINARY MEDICINE-RESEARCH AND REPORTS 2015; 6:155-164. [PMID: 30101102 PMCID: PMC6070020 DOI: 10.2147/vmrr.s62072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is a multifactorial polymicrobial infectious disease originally described in dairy cattle, but is increasingly recognized in beef cattle, sheep, and more recently, elk and goats. Clinical bovine lesions typically appear on the plantar surface of the hind foot from the interdigital space and heel bulb to the accessory digits, with a predilection for skin–horn junctions. Lesions present as a painful ulcerative acute or chronic inflammatory process with differing degrees of severity. This variability reflects disease progression and results in a number of different clinical descriptions with overlapping pathologies that ultimately have a related bacterial etiology. The goal of this review article is to provide a concise overview of our current understanding on digital dermatitis disease to facilitate clinical recognition, our current understanding on the causative agents, and recent advances in our understanding of disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Wilson-Welder
- Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA,
| | - David P Alt
- Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA,
| | - Jarlath E Nally
- Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA,
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