PHENOTYPICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INTESTINAL SPIROCHETES ISOLATED FROMPIGS

A combined evaluation of the phenotypical properties of five Serpulina type or reference strains and 163 Swedish isolates of spirochaetes fr om pigs and two from birds was made. The porcine isolates were collect ed from herds with a history of dysentery or severe diarrhoea and from herds chosen at random. On the basis of beta-haemolysis, indole produ ction, hippurate hydrolysis, and alpha-galactosidase, alpha-glucosidas e and beta-glucosidase activity, the isolates could be divided into fo ur main groups, I to IV, with three subgroups in group III. Group I in cluded the type strain for Serpulina hyodysenteriae (B78). Group II wa s differentiated from group I only by weak beta-haemolysis. Group III included the type strain for Serpulina innocens (B256). Group IV inclu ded the pathogenic, weakly haemolytic strain P43. Group IV-spirochaete s were characterised by their ability to hydrolyse hippurate and by th eir lack of beta-glucosidase activity. Group I and II-spirochaetes wer e isolated only from dysenteric or diarrhoeic pigs. There was a statis tical relationship between pigs with diarrhoea and the isolation of gr oup IV spirochaetes but no relationship with group III spirochaetes.