David John Hampson

Swine dysentery (SD) is a bacterial disease of grower and finisher pigs, causing colitis and bloody mucoid diarrhoea. In infected herds it can have a major economic impact through reduced growth rates, poor food conversion, mortalities and costs of control. The classical agent of SD is an anaerobic spirochaete called Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, although in the last decade two other species named “Brachyspira hampsonii” and “Brachyspira suanatina” have been identified as also causing SD in North America and Europe. As these species may have a different epidemiology to B. hyodysenteriae, the main aim of the current study was to determine whether they occurred in Australia. A subsidiary linked aim was to provide updated information on the occurrence, distribution and characteristics of B. hyodysenteriae strains that are currently present in Australia.