PARTIAL IDENTIFICATION OF SPIROCHETES FROM 2 DAIRY-COWS WITH DIGITAL DERMATITIS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION ANALYSIS OF THE 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENE

Specimens taken postmortem from typical lesions of digital dermatitis in two dairy cows were tested by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) f or the presence of a spirochaetal 16S rRNA gene. Seven different assay s detected the gene in the samples from both cows. Two of the PCR prod ucts were sequenced and a comparison of the nucleotide sequences revea led that the spirochaete belonged to the genus Treponema and was close ly related to Treponema denticola. A PCR specific for the detection of the digital dermatitis-associated treponeme was developed.