[Properties of Bacteroides nodosus isolated from cattle]

A total of five strains of Bacteroides nodosus were isolated from cattle with interdigital dermatitis on a number of farms. With regard to their cultural and morphologic properties and response to carbohydrates these strains did not differ from B. nodosus strains that caused foot rot in sheep. However, their K-antigen was different from the one of the B. nodosus strains isolated from sheep with foot rot as established via the hemagglutination test. No antigenic variations were found with the strains isolated from cattle. The tests with the proteolytic activity of the isolated strains showed that it was considerably lower than the activity of the strains isolated from sheep.