Brachyspira pilosicoli isolated from pigs in Japan

Two of four weak beta-hemolytic isolates of intestinal spirochetes isolated from pigs in Japan possessed a unique base alignment of TTTTTT on the 16S ribosomal DNA of Brachyspira pilosicoli and were identified as B. pilosicoli. The other two isolates were not identified by this technique. The identified isolates were 4.2 to 11 microm in length and 0.2 to 0.3 microm in diameter, 4 periplasmic flagella at each end were observed dominantly. The isolates were hippurate positive but indole negative. This is the first report on the isolation of B. pilosicoli from pigs in Japan.