Swine dysentery: more unknown than known

Swine dysentery (SD) is an economically important disease. It is caused by the spirochete Serpulina hyodysenteriae. In order to minimize the economic damage of SD, several methods to control this disease are recommended. Whereas hygienic measures and use of antimicrobials are actually practised for prevention, detection and exclusion of carriers of S. hyodysenteriae and vaccination against the disease still needs further attention. The last two methods require reliable and sensitive diagnostic tests and understanding of the pathogenesis of and immune development against SD. At present the detection of all individual carriers of S. hyodysenteriae is not yet assured, since the tests for screening individual animals are not satisfactorily evaluated as far as sensitivity and/or specificity are concerned. Studies on the pathogenesis of SD have been performed to develop a vaccine. Besides hemolysin/cytotoxin production, no other virulence factors have been identified with certainty for S. hyodysenteriae. Recently however, further indications for a role of motility in the pathogenesis of SD have been obtained. In this manuscript we summarize the most relevant recent findings.