[Comparative study of the biochemical characteristics of hemolytic treponemes isolated from pigs]

A number of hemolytic strains of treponemes were isolated from normal pigs and pigs which died of swine dysentery. According to their hemolytic pattern, these strains can be differentiated into strongly beta-hemolytic and weakly beta-hemolytic. According to Kinyon and Harris, aside from enteropathogenicity and hemolytic pattern, both fructose fermentation and indole production are the characteristics used in separating the two groups of treponemes. Our comparative study of these two groups of strains shows that while the fermentation activity is low for the strongly beta-hemolytic strains it is high for the weakly beta-hemolytic strains. The latter constitutes a heterogenous group which, contrary to Kinyon and Harris, can only be differentiated from the other strains by their ability to ferment lactose and to produce isovaleric acid in glucose supplemented broth.