Typing of Australian isolates of Treponema hyodysenteriae by serology and by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis.

A total of 91 isolates of Treponema hyodysenteriae which were obtained from 62 piggeries located around Australia were typed by serology and by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). The isolates fell into eight serogroups, of which groups B and D were the most common. Isolates with different REA patterns were recognised within serogroups, whilst a few isolates with the same REA pattern were placed into different serogroups. Some of the latter isolates were either from the same piggery or from farms with epidemiological links, thus indicating the bacteria may have altered their antigenic properties. A total of 31 different REA patterns were recognised amongst the Australian isolates. These comprised eight major patterns, with four of these being subdivided on the basis of minor differences in banding. Where a number of isolates were obtained from individual piggeries these all had the same REA pattern, and in one piggery isolates with the same pattern were recovered over a five year period. Plasmid bands were observed in 70 of the Australian isolates (77%), and in six of the seven overseas isolates included in the study for comparison. These plasmids did not affect the REA pattern. Of the States from which substantial numbers of isolates were examined, the greatest number of different strains (12 amongst 19 piggeries) were found from Victoria, and there were 10 REA patterns in strains from 24 piggeries in Queensland. Despite the large total number of different strains of T. hyodysenteriae in Australia, only three were found in more than one State.