First Confirmed Case of Digital Dermatitis in Greece

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to report the first confirmed case of digital dermatitis in Greece, emphasizing to the clinical appearance of the disease and to discuss some potential mechanisms concerning the entrance and the contagiousness of the disease in a new herd. The outbreak occurred in a new dairy farm of 60 primiparous Holstein cows in Thessaloniki region. All the animals had been purchased as pregnant heifers five months before the onset of the disease and were clinically healthy without any abnormality on their limbs at their arrival in the herd. At the time of our visit a detailed clinical history was obtained and all cows of the herd were examined for lesions of digital dermatitis. Skin biopsies were taken from each affected cow for bacteriological examinations. The clinical examination revealed that 22 animals had lesions of digital dermatitis. The diagnosis was based on the typical clinical appearance of the disease and was confirmed by the detection of Treponema on the smears from biopsy materials. The majority of the animals were affected during the first 2-3 months of lactation and their mean lameness score was 2.68. The present study reported the first confirmed case of digital dermatitis in Greece and provided evidence that the disease can be entered in a farm by clinically healthy animals but certain initiating conditions should be met in order the to have clinical manifestation of the disease.