Presence of digital dermatitis treponemes on cattle and sheep hoof trimming equipment.
Authors: Sullivan L E, Blowey R W, Carter S D, Duncan J S, Grove-White D H, Page P, Iveson T, Angell J W, Evans N J
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Digital Dermatitis Treponemes on Hoof Trimming Equipment Digital dermatitis remains a significant cause of lameness in dairy cattle worldwide and sheep in the UK, yet transmission pathways beyond direct animal contact remain poorly understood. This 2014 investigation examined whether hoof trimming knives could harbour the causative Treponema spirochaetes and function as fomites in disease spread between animals and farms. Following routine trimming of affected and unaffected cattle and sheep, the researchers detected three major DD-associated Treponema phylogroups on trimming knives at surprisingly high rates: 62% positive for *Treponema medium/vincentii*-like, 57% for *T. phagedenis*-like, and 54% for *T. denticola/putidum*-like organisms. Disinfection substantially reduced contamination (to 24%, 16% and 8% respectively), though viable organisms persisted in some cases—notably, a culturable *T. phagedenis*-like isolate was recovered from one knife post-trimming. These findings establish hoof trimming equipment as a credible environmental reservoir for DD spirochaetes, with clear implications for biosecurity protocols on farms and between trimming services. Implementing systematic disinfection of knives between animals and between farm visits represents a practical, evidence-based measure to interrupt transmission chains and reduce DD incidence in housed ruminant populations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Hoof trimming equipment is a confirmed vector for DD transmission between animals and farms, requiring mandatory disinfection between use
- •Current disinfection protocols significantly reduce but do not completely eliminate treponeme presence, so equipment hygiene practices should be reviewed and standardized across operations
- •Farriers and farm staff should implement rigorous equipment disinfection between animals and especially between farm visits to prevent iatrogenic transmission of this painful and economically significant disease
Key Findings
- •DD treponemes were detected on 54-62% of hoof trimming knives after trimming symptomatic animals, with T. medium/vincentii-like most prevalent at 62%
- •After disinfection, detection rates dropped substantially to 8-24%, indicating disinfection reduces but does not completely eliminate treponeme presence
- •A viable T. phagedenis-like spirochaete isolate was cultured from a knife used on a DD-positive cow, confirming infectious organisms present on equipment
- •No viable isolates were recovered from equipment samples after disinfection, suggesting disinfection reduces transmission risk