TY - JOUR
T1 - Short communication
T2 - Metagenomic evaluation of skin biopsies of udder sores in dairy cows
AU - Sorge, Ulrike S.
AU - Binger, Elizabeth M.
AU - Schefers, Jeremy
AU - Plummer, Paul J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Dairy Science Association
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - The objectives of this study were (a) to evaluate skin biopsies of udder sores and negative control cows for the presence of mange and nonbacterial pathogens via histopathology and (b) to identify and compare bacterial abundance in the lesions of cows with udder sores and from the skin of healthy controls from the same farms. Cows from 3 dairy farms with (n = 23) and without (n = 12) udder sore lesions were enrolled, and punch biopsies (23 lesions, 23 negative control samples of cows with lesions, and 12 control samples of cows without lesions) were collected. The biopsies were evaluated histopathologically, and their 16S metagenome was analyzed. No signs of mange or viral or fungal infections were detected histopathologically in any samples. The α diversity of microbial populations decreased in lesions, across all farms, and the abundance of spirochaetes did not notably change, compared with controls. However, compared with control samples, the microbial fractions of Fusobacterium, Helcococcus spp., Anaerococcus spp., Porphyromonas spp., Prevotella spp., and Trueperella spp. increased several-fold in lesions. In summary, our results suggest that spirochaetes, viruses, and mange are unlikely to cause udder sores. Instead, sores were associated with a marked increase in the abundance of Fusobacterium, Helcococcus, Anaerococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, and Trueperella. Future studies are needed to determine which of these bacteria initiates this polymicrobial infection.
AB - The objectives of this study were (a) to evaluate skin biopsies of udder sores and negative control cows for the presence of mange and nonbacterial pathogens via histopathology and (b) to identify and compare bacterial abundance in the lesions of cows with udder sores and from the skin of healthy controls from the same farms. Cows from 3 dairy farms with (n = 23) and without (n = 12) udder sore lesions were enrolled, and punch biopsies (23 lesions, 23 negative control samples of cows with lesions, and 12 control samples of cows without lesions) were collected. The biopsies were evaluated histopathologically, and their 16S metagenome was analyzed. No signs of mange or viral or fungal infections were detected histopathologically in any samples. The α diversity of microbial populations decreased in lesions, across all farms, and the abundance of spirochaetes did not notably change, compared with controls. However, compared with control samples, the microbial fractions of Fusobacterium, Helcococcus spp., Anaerococcus spp., Porphyromonas spp., Prevotella spp., and Trueperella spp. increased several-fold in lesions. In summary, our results suggest that spirochaetes, viruses, and mange are unlikely to cause udder sores. Instead, sores were associated with a marked increase in the abundance of Fusobacterium, Helcococcus, Anaerococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, and Trueperella. Future studies are needed to determine which of these bacteria initiates this polymicrobial infection.
KW - 16S
KW - bovine
KW - microbiome
KW - skin
KW - udder cleft dermatitis
KW - udder sores
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074092645&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85074092645&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3168/jds.2018-15863
DO - 10.3168/jds.2018-15863
M3 - Article
C2 - 31629518
AN - SCOPUS:85074092645
VL - 102
SP - 11470
EP - 11475
JO - Journal of Dairy Science
JF - Journal of Dairy Science
SN - 0022-0302
IS - 12
ER -