Association between bovine digital dermatitis treponemes and a range of 'non-healing' bovine hoof disorders.
Authors: Evans N J, Blowey R W, Timofte D, Isherwood D R, Brown J M, Murray R, Paton R J, Carter S D
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: BDD Treponemes and Non-Healing Hoof Lesions Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) has long been recognised as a painful, economically significant condition in dairy cattle, but Evans and colleagues' 2011 investigation reveals that BDD-associated treponemes may be responsible for a broader spectrum of hoof pathology than previously understood. The research team identified three apparently distinct 'non-healing' hoof disorders—toe necrosis, non-healing white line disease, and non-healing sole ulcers—that shared characteristic clinical features: granular appearance, distinctive odour, severe pain, and origin on farms with endemic BDD, prompting molecular investigation. Using PCR assays to detect BDD treponeme DNA, the authors found all three treponeme groups present simultaneously in 84.2% of toe necrosis samples, 81.3% of non-healing white line disease samples, and 55.6% of non-healing sole ulcer samples, whilst control tissue from healthy horn tested negative. Notably, heel horn erosions—a more superficial lesion—showed no treponeme association, suggesting BDD treponemes preferentially colonise deeper horn structures. These findings indicate that what may appear clinically as separate entities could represent variants of treponeme-associated hoof disease, with significant implications for diagnosis, antimicrobial treatment protocols, and biosecurity management on affected farms; practitioners should consider broad-spectrum treponeme involvement when encountering refractory hoof lesions on BDD-endemic operations rather than treating these presentations as distinct pathological entities.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Non-healing hoof lesions with granular appearance and pungent smell on farms with endemic BDD should be tested for treponeme involvement, as this may require specific treatment protocols
- •The strong association between BDD treponemes and penetrating hoof lesions suggests treponeme testing could help differentiate these conditions from other hoof disorders and guide therapeutic decisions
- •Heel horn erosions appear to be distinct from BDD-associated lesions, suggesting different management approaches may be appropriate for this condition
Key Findings
- •BDD treponemes were detected in 84.2% of toe necrosis samples (n=19), 81.3% of non-healing white line disease samples (n=16), and 55.6% of non-healing sole ulcer samples (n=9)
- •All three characterized BDD treponeme groups were identified together in the majority of non-healing lesion samples
- •Healthy control horn samples (n=16) were PCR-negative for BDD treponemes, establishing a strong association between BDD treponemes and non-healing hoof lesions
- •No association was found between BDD treponemes and typical heel horn erosions (n=9)