Zoonotic pathogens linked with hedgehog diphtheric disease. Issue 6 (21st October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Terriere, Naomi; Glazemaekers, Evelien; Bregman, Seline; Rasschaert, Geertrui; Willems, Sjarlotte; Boyen, Filip; Lens, Luc; Baeten, Lander; Verheyen, Kris; Pasmans, Frank; Strubbe, Diederik; Martel, An
• Is Part Of: Transboundary and emerging diseases. Volume 69:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: 3618
• Page End: 3623
• Publication Date: 2022-10-21
• Subjects: Borrelia burgdorferi -- Corynebacterium ulcerans -- diphtheria -- Erinaceus europaeus -- hedgehog -- Salmonella; Veterinary medicine -- Periodicals; 636.089
• DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14731
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1865-1674

Abstract

Summary: Hedgehog diphtheric disease (HDD), an ulcerative skin disease with a high fatality rate, is an emerging threat to European hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus ). We explored the potential role of a panel of zoonotic pathogens in the presumed multifactorial nature of HDD in 188 hedgehogs from 3 wildlife rescue centres in Belgium. As expected, and with a prevalence of 67% in 57 hedgehogs with skin lesions, characteristic of HDD, the occurrence of Corynebacterium ulcerans was strongly associated with the disease. Remarkably, with a prevalence of 42% in affected animals, infections with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were 3.92 times more likely to be detected in HDD (95% confidence interval: 1.650–9.880; p = .0024). Overall, 40 hedgehogs tested positive for the B. burgdorferi sensu lato complex, including Borrelia afzelii ( n = 30), Borrelia bavariensis ( n = 7) and Borrelia spielmanii ( n = 7). Other widely occurring pathogens included Salmonella (prevalence of 19%, with three pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis profiles) and Leptospira sp. (prevalence of 11%, including Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira borgpetersenii ), but these were not associated with the occurrence of HDD. These findings show that hedgehogs in Belgium represent a significant reservoir of multiple zoonotic bacteria, of which toxigenic C. ulcerans and B. burgdorferi sensu lato are associated with widespread hedgehog skin pathology and mortality.