Dichelobacter nodosus in sheep, cattle, goats and South American camelids in Switzerland—Assessing prevalence in potential hosts in order to design targeted disease control measures

Publication date: Available online 6 May 2019Source: Preventive Veterinary MedicineAuthor(s): Flurin Ardüser, Gaia Moore-Jones, Stefanie Gobeli Brawand, Salome Dürr, Adrian Steiner, Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis, Patrik ZanolariAbstractFootrot is a contagious foot disease caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus) that affects sheep worldwide. Due to substantial economic and welfare impact, various countries have developed control programs against footrot. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the national prevalence of virulent and benign D. nodosus in Switzerland in the four domestic ruminant species sheep, cattle, goats and South American camelids (SAC) to detect potential host populations and to propose targeted disease control measures. Risk factors for infection with the virulent strain of D. nodosus, based on a survey carried out among farmers, were investigated on animal and herd level. Overall, 613 farms and 2920 animals were investigated during 2017–18 applying a two-stage cluster sampling strategy. A Real-Time PCR method for simultaneous detection of virulent and benign strains of D. nodosus was used for the first time in such a large study. On animal level, the true prevalence (TP) of virulent D. nodosus in sheep was estimated at 16.9% (95% confidence interval (CI95%): 9.5–24.3%). In cattle and goats no virulent D. nodosus was detected and in SAC an apparent prevalence (AP) of 0.2% (CI95%: 0.0–0.4%) was observed. On farm leve...
Source: Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research