Diagnosis of swine dysentery and spirochaetal diarrhea. III. Results of cultural and biochemical differentiation of intestinal Brachyspira species by routine culture from 1997 to 1999

A survey is given on the occurrence and distribution of different Brachyspira species in pigs, in the northwest of Germany. In total 2975 specimen (feces, fecal swabs, colon) were taken and sent for laboratory analysis during the years 1997 to 1999. 1218 Brachyspira (B.) strains were found by cultural analysis. 1757 samples (59%) were negative. The cultural and biochemical differentiation revealed 720 (59.1%) strains B. hyodysenteriae (77.5% were indole negative), 22 (1.8%) B. pilosicoli, 29 (2.4%) B. intermedia, 167 (3.7%) B. innocens and 114 (9.4%) B. murdochii. 166 (13.6%) strains could not be identified. These strains could either not be compared with any of the described species by the methods used or it was impossible to achieve a pure culture from these isolates. The results demonstrate the wide spread of B. hyodysenteriae in pig herds in the northwest of Germany with a very high prevalence of indole negative strains. The most frequent strain was B. hyodysenteriae. B. pilosicoli which causes spirochaetal diarrhoea was rarely isolated and seems not to play an important role in Germany. Experience from routine cultures for Brachyspira give evidence that it is more useful to examine faeces from single pigs instead of pooled samples from a herd. It is recommended to use special transport media for the transport of the specimen.