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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Conjunctival Commensal Isolation and Identification in Mice
Published on: May 1, 2021
Isolation and characterisation of a novel spirochaete from severe virulent ovine foot rot
I Demirkan, S D Carter, C Winstanley1
1Departments of Veterinary Immunology and *Medical Microbiology and Genitourinary Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, †Division of Life Sciences, Franklin-Wilkins Building, Kings College, London, ‡Veterinary Research Laboratory, Belfast, Northern Ireland and §Clare Veterinary Group, Ballyclare, Northern Ireland.
Abstract:
A novel spirochaete was isolated from a case of severe virulent ovine foot rot (SVOFR) by immunomagnetic separation with beads coated with polyclonal anti-treponemal antisera and prolonged anaerobic broth culture. The as yet unnamed treponeme differs considerably from the only other spirochaete isolated from ovine foot rot as regards morphology, enzymic profile and 16S rDNA sequence. On the basis of 16S rDNA, it was most closely related to another unnamed spirochaete isolated from cases of bovine digital dermatitis in the USA, raising the possibility of cross-species transmission. Further information is required to establish this novel ovine spirochaete as the cause of SVOFR.
